As winter wanes and steps aside for warm sunshine, green grass and flip flop season…the aftermath of a hard winter becomes unearthed. Brisk autumn winds can blow around debris and trash, and months of pet poop from the winter months suddenly make an appearance yet again. Spring is a time of birth and growth…and also the perfect time for a little Bozeman community clean up.

For many years, Bozeman held one annual community clean up day each April to spruce up our city streets, alleys, boulevards, trails, and parks. However Bozeman being Bozeman, many years the designated clean up day was stymied by spring snow, cool temps or rain.

“Spring is an unpredictable time in Bozeman,” said Solid Waste Supervisor Kevin Handelin, “Many years we would have snow covered ground, chilly temperatures or rain storms. It was tough to get enough participation on a single day each year to make much of a dent in spring cleanup.”

This year, the City of Bozeman’s Solid Waste Division has created a new program to clean up Bozeman…any time you want.

“Cleanup Bozeman” is a program offered by the Solid Waste Division and offers a quick and easy 5-step process to cleaning up our community. Cleanup Bozeman is now a year-round program, and by offering ‘cleanup kits’ to both individuals and groups, our community has 364 additional days to pick up trash and debris.

The clean up kits have everything you need to create your very own clean up day…down to reflective vests, gloves, bags and communication tools to help you get out the word to participants.

While starting your own Cleanup Bozeman event may sound daunting…it isn’t! There are five easy steps to making our town a more livable place.

Step 1:
Call us at 406-582-3203. Let us know when and where you’d like to pick up litter and how many will be in your clean up group.

Step 2:
Tell your group. Spread the word to your group that it’s time to roll up their sleeves with communication tools that we provide.

Step 3:
Get the kits. When you call us we can arrange for drop off of your Cleanup Bozeman kit (including vests, gloves, bags, and instructions), or you can pick up the kits at your convenience.

Step 4:
Clean it like you mean it! Gather trash and recycling into bags in your designated area, then leave them on the boulevard. We’ll pick up your bags during our regular neighborhood trash collection.

Step 5:
Remit the kits. Give us a call and we will pick up your kit and unused materials. Or bring your kit back to the City.

The City of Bozeman is pleased to help each group or individual find spots within Bozeman city limits to target for their very own cleanup day, and will walk you through the entire process. After your cleanup event is complete, simply leave the bags curbside for pick up by the Solid Waste Division. Easy! You return the kit to the City (or we can arrange for pick up, too!) for the next participant in Cleanup Bozeman…and pat yourself on the back for giving back to our community by giving it a little spit shine!

The goal of the Cleanup Bozeman program is to expand the reach of a traditional neighborhood clean up day, and allow groups, businesses, neighborhood groups and individuals to plan and execute a clean up event on their own time and schedule.
“By creating a regular, year-long program for cleanup activities in Bozeman, we are making the entire process much more user friendly for our residents. They can choose their own pick up crew, and decide on the day and area that is most convenient for them. It increases participation and makes a cleanup event easy for businesses, groups, families or even individuals,” stated Handelin.

We all love where we live…because of the parks, trails, quaint neighborhoods and vibrant downtown. Let’s all pitch in and do our part to keep Bozeman awesome…and tidy!

For more information or to reserve a Cleanup Bozeman kit please call 406-582-3203 or visit: www.BozemanSolidWaste.com