250 Years of the United States of America

As the United States of America prepares for its 250^th Birthday, we thought it the ideal time to reflect upon the history and mission of Keep America Beautiful and its 731 affiliates across the nation… including Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. After all, as our names might suggest, we all share a desire to keep the beautiful in “America The Beautiful.”

73 Years of Keep America Beautiful

In 1953, in response to growing concern about litter along America’s highways and public spaces, a group of corporations, civic groups, conservation organizations, transportation organizations, and governmental agencies came together to find a solution. The result was the formation of an organization founded on the belief that improving communities requires collaboration and action among citizens, organizations, government, and business. Its earliest efforts were largely focused on initiating a national dialogue about the problem of litter through public education campaigns and public service announcements. 

Based in Stamford, Connecticut, it soon became clear that – to best effect change nationwide – forming local affiliate organizations would help take the mission hyperlocal. As Keep America Beautiful grew through its affiliates in big cities and local counties, its central purpose grew, too. In addition to litter prevention, KAB and its affiliates also focus on recycling and waste reduction, beautification and greening, environmental education, and community improvement and revitalization. With a focus on improving the places where people live, work, and gather, these combined efforts build lasting solutions that improve public spaces and strengthen civic pride. 

46 Years of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful

Formed in 1980 by a group of concerned citizens in Gwinnett County, the early vision of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful was born out of the Lawrenceville Junior Women’s Club’s desire to address illegal dumping and littering throughout the county. After becoming a Keep America Beautiful affiliate that same year, we became part of a:

• Shared Purpose: To inspire and educate individuals to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment.
• Shared Beliefs: By working together and actively leveraging the vast set of experiences, expertise, and viewpoints across the KAB network, we will accomplish more and accomplish better.
• Shared Values: Based on collaboration, open and transparent engagement, and integrity, we share a desire to achieve something greater than any of us can accomplish on our own.

Along with our fellow KAB affiliates, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful has had a hand in helping to restore communities by:

• Collecting 69,689,184 pounds of litter and recycling 
• Removing litter from 146,647 acres
• Cleaning and beautifying 59,874 miles of streets, roads, and highways 
• Cleaning 7,461 miles of rivers, lakes, wetlands, and shores 
• Planting 31,899 trees

We are proud of the role Keep America Beautiful plays in guiding many of our most impactful programs and initiatives – such as Adopt-A-Road, Adopt-A-Stream, Great American Cleanup, and our Green Youth Advisory Council. And we remain committed to making an impact at the local level through initiatives that reflect key partnerships with other local stakeholders who share our desire to effect change. Included among them are the expansion of our countywide glass recycling program, our Compost Connectors and Plant It Forward initiatives at Gwinnett County Public Schools, our annual Earth Day recycling program, Great Gwinnett Wetlands, and so much more. 

How You Can Help Keep Our Corner of America Beautiful

If you’re seeking an impactful way to celebrate America’s 250^th birthday, consider joining the growing network of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful volunteers. Take a closer look at our programs – like Adopt-A-Road or Adopt-A-Stream – to see whether they might be a good fit for your desire to become more involved. Or visit our Calendar of Events regularly to learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities, like our Earth Day Recycling Event, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days, America Recycles Day, and Bring One for the Chipper, just to name a few. 

We are firm believers in “the more, the merrier” in our Mother Earth-centric movement. That’s why we strive to seek out, empower, and grow our network of other caring community members like you to take action on behalf of our local cities, the surrounding environment, and our county at large. By doing so, we are creating and sustaining communities that are economically sound, environmentally healthy, and socially connected. More than that, we are fostering a new generation of environmental stewards and cultivating a sense of social responsibility among our movement members to care for our corner of “America The Beautiful” – now and far into the future.To learn more about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, our programs and events, and the caring individuals behind our organization, please visit www.GwinnettCB.org. From all of us here at Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, we wish the United States of America a very Happy 250th birthday!