Cleanup Club Chicago

10/08/2026

There are 5 group cleanups happening this weekend that will definitely count toward the Clean-Off competition, and we hope you can attend one or more! And if you prefer to clean on your own or organize your own cleanup, keep in mind there are resources listed on our page. We have a litter cleanup kit you can rent for up to 20 people, plus there are free supplies available for 1-5 people through the supply stations offered by Friends of the Chicago River. We've also been given a sweet deal from Wateriders- anyone who wants to rent a kayak to clean up trash on the river for the Clean-Off will get 50% off! Visit https://www.chicagoenvironmentalists.org/the-clean-off-group-events-and-resources for more details.

10/08/2026

Help us and clean up a big, juicy, litter hotspot at the California Interchange on I-290!! We need all hands on deck for this one, litter pickers! AND we're providing free coffee to fuel our litter-picking efforts. This cleanup will be part of our month-long October Clean-Off battle against Philly and Los Angeles, to see who can pick up the most trash by the end of the month. All events in the Clean-Off are generously sponsored by Independent Recycling Services. Please sign up at the Eventbrite link in our bio, or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2002903824255?aff=oddtdtcreator.

10/08/2026

😝😝😝 We love our public transit!

10/06/2026

We in the news in Philly! Chicago media- when will you cover us!?!?!!

After a disappointing loss to Chicago last year, volunteers in Philadelphia say they hope to prove a point while also cleaning up the streets.

10/05/2026

The first week totals are in, and WE'RE IN THE LEAD!!! We received 16 submissions and collected 134 bags of trash so far, including both group cleanups and individual picking. Groups that contributed their totals this week include us, , , , and . Individual submissions came from 6 people, including , , , , and others. Nice job Chicago!! Keep up the great community work!!!

If you're interested in joining , please check the link in our bio for more information.

10/05/2026

Washington Park is next on our list for October, and we're going to make them sparkle!!! This cleanup will count toward , so by participating you are not only beautifying your community, but also helping us beat Philly and LA!!! We'll meet up at the corner of Garfield Boulevard and King Drive, which borders the west side of Washington Park. We'll head to nearby Boxville afterward to grab some lunch and check out the shopping situation. We hope to see you there! Be sure to register on Eventbrite (link will be posted in comments).

10/04/2026

We finally got to do our fall kayaking cleanup, and Chicago gave us some glorious weather for it! We love getting out on the water to remove trash from the wildlife habitats along the river. We connected with nature and saw some beautiful birds and turtles, including several majestic herons. We also removed a whopping 27 bags of trash from the river, plus yet another shopping cart! Thanks to everyone who came out to join this effort- your river-dwelling neighbors are grateful!

Thanks to Jonathan and Ilana for captaining, for giving us a discounted rate, and Chicago Residential Partners for sponsoring the event!!

Ilana Blair Jonathan Horak Ian Padovan

10/02/2026

We want to give a Facebook shout out to our partnering organizations in this competition! Thus far, we are joined by Garbage Gals, Love Blue Chicago, West Ridge Cleanup Crew, Bridgeport Environmentalists, Urban Rivers, Vecinos Unidos, Friends of the Chicago River, Chicago Parks Foundation, and Wateriders! You can join any public cleanup event hosted by these organizations and it will count toward Chicago's effort to win the competition. We will be adding participating cleanup events and local resources for going solo to this page in the coming days: https://www.chicagoenvironmentalists.org/the-clean-off-group-events-and-resources

Additionally, Chicago Department of Streets & Sanitation is officially supporting us, and we even got a share from Mayor Brandon Johnson on Instagram! Special thanks also go to our sponsor, Independent Recycling Services.

If your company or organization might be interested in partnering or sponsoring this competition, please contact us at [email protected].

10/02/2026

There are several cleanups you can join this weekend to help Chicago win ! And if you can't join one of these cleanups, you can also create your own cleanup OR fly solo. You can register for all of the cleanups on this list AND find resources for doing your own thing at the QR code on the page, or chicagoenvironmentalists.org/the-clean-off-group-events-and-resources