Tips for a Neighborhood Clean-up

Organizing a neighborhood clean-up is a wonderful opportunity to get to know your neighbors and beautify your neighborhood at the same time. Below are Neighborhood Services suggestions for planning and implementing a neighborhood cleanup.

Thanks for organizing a neighborhood clean-up! Remember, you can copy fliers and newsletters advertising your clean-up for free at the Neighborhood Services.

-	Consider applying for a neighborhood grant from the Neighborhood Services. Grants are available from $25-$500. When completeing your application i-nclude the cost of the roll-off plus $79 per roll-off for the tipping fee. Be sure the trash hauler understands their Landfill fee will be $79. Contact our office f-or more information or visit our website at fcgov.com/neighborhoodservices.
-	Notify Neighborhood Services as soon as you have scheduled your clean-up and know which trash hauler you will be using. Neighborhood Services can then work with Larimer County Landfill in order to get the reduced tipping fee ($79) for up to 3 roll-off containers. Neighborhood Services will need to know the location, date, trash hauler, and neighborhood contact person to complete the arrangements with the landfill. Your trash hauler must have a letter in hand to give to the Landfill when dumping your roll-off containers.
-	Contact multiple trash haulers to see who will give you the best price for your roll-off containers. Depending on the geographical area of your neighborhood cleanup, you may need between 2-4 roll-offs for an all-day event.
-	Locate a site (school, church, or other large paved area.) large enough to accommodate roll-off containers and traffic flowing in and out of the location and make sure you get permission to hold your event there.
-	Arrange to complete the event in one day. Roll-offs left overnight become an attractive nuisance and people will dump early and during the night. This may mean having to pay drivers overtime. It's important that roll-offs are dropped off and picked up on the same day.
-	Have appropriate signage directing traffic in and out of the location.
-	Have a first aid kit on hand at the event.
-	Arrange to have 8-12 volunteers to help on the day of the clean-up. Specific volunteers can be assigned different duties during the event, such as: - Calling for additional roll-offs and supervising what is deposited in the roll-off containers - no hazardous waste, paint, liquids, items over six feet in length, appliances that contain Freon, and tires; - Supervising the entrance and screening participants to prevent non-residents of your neighborhood taking advantage of your clean-up, i.e., asking participants for their address and/or coupon (if one was provided in a neighborhood newsletter), giving out a coupon for participants who plan to return with an additional load; - Supervising traffic control during the event, especially when roll-off containers are delivered and removed; - Requesting and collecting any monetary donations that neighbors can provide to help off-set the cost of the clean-up; - Assisting participants to unload their vehicles when necessary; - Coordinating a "swap and drop" (should you choose to offer one), including monitoring items to ensure they are of suitable quality for exchange or reuse, and coordinating a charity organization to pick up the unwanted items at the end of the event; and - Supervising clean-up of the location after the event. Remember to leave it cleaner than you found it.
-	Consider organizing a social event for everyone at the end of the clean-up - pizza and ice cream always hit the spot after a hard day at the neighborhood clean-up!
-	An additional idea - organize a leaf pick-up in the fall. Some trash haulers will offer services for a leaf clean-up. Check with them when you call to make your neighborhood clean-up arrangements.