TULSA, Okla. — Starting April 1 and through the end of the month, volunteers will have the opportunity to sign up to pick up litter in designated problem spots across the city of Tulsa. The city will provide a trash grabber, protective gloves, trash bags and protective vests (to use if the location is near a busy road).
Once the trash is bagged up, city crews will come to the site and collect the bags.
Jacob Hagen, co-coordinator of the event, says it didn’t start simply as a beautifying effort. It’s also to help the City of Tulsa meet permit requirements with the Department of Environmental Quality to discharge stormwater. One of those requirements is to reduce the amount of litter in the storm runoff. Too much trash is also detrimental to wildlife and impacts flooding.
“It can cause blockages in our waterways and cause localized flooding if drains get blocked and the roads could become impassable,” said Hagen.
The cleanup event has taken place for more than 20 years and Hagen says Tulsa has had an increase in the litter problem over time.
“We are trying to study the issue more thoroughly to understand where it’s coming from and what can be done to prevent it,” said Hagen.
Just two weeks ago, crews installed Tulsa’s first floating barrier (called a litter boom) in a retention pond near 71st and Garnett due to excess litter. However, it already has to be reattached because the recent rain and high winds stopped it from working properly.
Doug Linden walks the trail surrounding the pond and blames the excess trash on the nearby highway drivers.
“There are so many people who throw stuff off 169 that it comes down the spillway and into here,” said Linden.
There are more than 30 cleanup spots this year. If there’s another spot that needs help but not listed, Tulsans can submit their own location to cleanup.
If you're looking for other ways to get involved to clean up your area, here's a look at some options the city send us:
- A Better Way
- This month, the City of Tulsa celebrated the 5-year anniversary of A Better Way, a program brought to Tulsa through the leadership of Mayor Bynum that provides an alternative to panhandling by offering participants a day’s wages to beautify the community while connecting them to essential services. Through this innovative program, the first in Oklahoma, more than 242 tons of trash have been collected from City parks and facilities, all while serving more than 2,800 individuals and providing them the help they need. The program continues to this day, and the City provides $200,000 yearly for the program, a 300% increase in funding since the program started in 2018.
- Highway Trash Collection
- In 2022, City crews collected more than 150 tons of trash from nearly 150 miles of Tulsa’s highways.
- Neighborhood Dumpster Program
- The City of Tulsa's Neighborhood Dumpster Program is a service available to registered neighborhood associations to perform neighborhood clean-up activities. Participating groups can make use of 30-yard containers to dispose of eligible household items twice a year. More information can be found online [gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com].
- Great Tulsa Cleanup
- Every year, the City of Tulsa spearheads a monthlong program in April that is dedicated to preserving and protecting Tulsa’s waterways and green spaces. For more information and how to get involved, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/cleanup [gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com].
- Bulky Waste Pickup
- As part of the City of Tulsa’s residential trash program, Bulky Waste Pickup is offered for anyone who has items too large to fit inside their gray trash cart. The program helps reduce illegal dumping instances in Tulsa. For more information, visit https://www.cityoftulsa.org/bulkywaste [gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com].
- City of Tulsa Illegal Dumping
- The City of Tulsa works year-round to combat illegal dumping sites and educate the public about the proper ways to dispose of trash. To report an illegal dump site, please email tulsa311@cityoftulsa.org or call 311 during business hours.
- City of Tulsa Household Pollutant Collection Facility
- The City of Tulsa Household Pollutant Collection Facility is a year-round facility open to residential customers. The facility takes household pollutants that would otherwise be thrown away, illegally discarded, or otherwise. For more information, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/hpcf [gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com].
- Downtown Tulsa Trash Pickup
- The Downtown Tulsa Ambassador Team works seven days a week to ensure Downtown is clean, vibrant, and welcoming to everyone. Their goal is to improve Downtown with enhanced cleaning, safety, and beautification services, which are made possible by Downtown Tulsa property and business owners. The team works hand-in-hand with the City of Tulsa and the region’s service and outreach organizations to aid Tulsa’s most vulnerable populations.
- Trash, Junk and DebrisTrash, junk and debris cannot be left in the yard and must be disposed of properly. This includes junk such as auto parts, appliances, furniture, building materials and tires; trash such as paper, cardboard, plastics, etc. and debris such as tree trimmings and limbs. For nuisance code violations, residents can report trash, junk and debris on private property by using the Tulsa 311 app, emailing tulsa311@cityoftulsa.org, or by calling 311 during normal business hours.
Here is a link to register as well as a list of locations.
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