The Pennsylvania Resource Council and the State Department of Environmental Protection Honor University City District’
Philadelphia, PA 29 July, 2003 --— In an effort to recognize communities that have done outstanding jobs in fighting litter and encouraging other communities to follow their example, the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) created the Clean Community Awards program in June 2000.
This year’s contestants were judged as to whether or not a community litter problem was being identified and adequately addressed, while implementing a solution that included plans to avoid a reoccurrence.
The 2003 first place honor went to University City District’s Litter Coalition (Litter Co.) a multi-year campaign that began in April 2002, as an alliance of community leaders, residents, elected officials, families, students, employees and neighborhood associations who pledged to educate, advocate, and practice keeping University City litter free through education, awareness, and community involvement. On behalf of Litter Co., UCD received a $1000 cash prize as well as recognition on both PRC and DEP’s websites and in their collateral materials.
"Being given this award is very gratifying. To be recognized by such high-profile organizations for an outstanding effort makes us feel as if our hard work is paying off. The goal is to continuously see a decrease in the amount of litter in University City and I think we are on the right track," says Eric T. Goldstein, UCD Executive Director.
Litter Co. was formed by UCD in April 2002 with support from Philip Rosenau Company, Inc., a diversified distributor of sanitary maintenance supplies and equipment. UCD currently spends $1.3 million per year picking up "ambient" trash – trash tossed out of car windows, thrown in vacant lots, and dropped on sidewalks. The goal is to reduce litter so that this money can redirected towards more productive neighborhood improvement projects such as planting trees, improving parks, and installing pedestrian lighting.
To help combat the litter problem, Litter Co., in conjunction with UCD organizes four community clean-ups per year. UCD can provide gloves and trash bags. For more information, visit www.litterco.org or call 215.243.0555.
University City District builds effective partnerships to maintain a clean and safe environment and to promote, plan, and advocate for University City's diverse urban community. UCD's programs to improve streetscapes and parks, remove trash and graffiti, provide technical assistance to home- and business owners, increase public safety, and publicize University City's advantages have improved the quality of life since 1997. For more information, visit www.UCityphila.org.
Release Date: Tuesday, July 29th 2003
