STAMFORD, CT. - November 24, 2008 - A round of applause is in order for the 3 million volunteers across the country who contributed their time and effort this year during the annual Great American Cleanup(TM).

Volunteers created over 48,000 gardens, xeriscapes and green spaces and removed over 86 million pounds of litter and debris from America's landscape. Additionally, 15,200 junk cars were removed and the number of illegal dumpsites that were cleaned up nearly doubled from the previous year to 6,500. Great American Cleanup events improved over 144,000 miles of roadway (nearly six times the circumference of the earth), 91,000 acres of parks and public lands, and 6,000 miles of hiking, biking and nature trails.

Over 30,000 local events were organized throughout the United States, involving 17,000 communities and logging a combined time commitment of over 6.7 million hours. "It is truly amazing how much litter you can pick up and how much natural beauty you can create given that many hours," noted Keep America Beautiful Senior Vice President and Great American Cleanup Managing Director Gail Cunningham.

The mission of the Great American Cleanup not only focuses on litter removal, but educating communities about the importance of keeping public spaces clean and cared for. This year 8,500 educational workshops were conducted with a combined attendance of over 600,000 participants. "Every year the number of volunteers participating in the Great American Cleanup increases, and we believe that is a direct result of our ongoing outreach and education about the importance of a cleaner and greener America," added Cunningham.

The importance of recycling is top-of-mind for Americans, and the numbers behind the volunteers' efforts support that trend with over 189 million plastic (PET) bottles reclaimed, 10.2 million pounds of aluminum and steel recovered, 5.3 million pounds of electronics collected for recycling, and 37 million pounds of newspaper recycled. Beautification efforts have increased significantly with over 100,000 trees planted. In addition to these accomplishments, a record 37,000 graffiti sites have been cleaned up, the highest number ever recorded.

Other highlights included:

• 7,000 miles of rivers, lakes and shorelines cleaned
  
• 2,700 acres of wetlands cleaned and improved
  
• 3,000 playgrounds and community recreation areas constructed or restored
  
• One of the most unusual items discovered in the clean-up was a Calvary hitching post (for a complete list of the unusual items found please visit www.kab.org/GAC2008)

For the sixth consecutive year, President George W. Bush served as Honorary Chair of the Great American Cleanup, with Mrs. Laura Bush joining him as Honorary Chair for the fourth consecutive year.

More results, including detailed information about sponsor programs and contributions, can be found online at www.kab.org/GAC2008.

About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This national nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. The Great American Cleanup(TM) is the organization's signature program that mobilizes millions of volunteers to improve their communities through hands-on participation. For more information, visit www.kab.org.

Keep America Beautiful

Keep America Beautiful

Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. With a powerful national network of community-based affiliates, we work with millions of volunteers who take action in their communities to transform public spaces into beautiful places. Through our programs and public-private partnerships, we engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community’s environment.

For more information, visit kab.org, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, discover us on Pinterest, or view us on YouTube.

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