Join us!

Every September and October, groups from across Durham volunteer to pick up litter in their local neighborhoods, parks, and streams for Durham's largest litter cleanup event of the year.

Durham Big Sweep is coordinated by Keep Durham Beautiful, the City of Durham Stormwater Division, and Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District, with help from other City and County departments and so many partners!

Since 2005, more than 8,000 volunteers have removed 230,000 pounds of litter from the Durham Environment! This event provides countless benefits to the communities involved. It is our biggest litter removal event of the year and an impactful way to Keep Durham Beautiful.

join an organized cleanup

Please visit our Events Page to find individual and group opportunities to join a cleanup event. View the map below to see event locations.

We are no longer accepting applications to organize a cleanup, but we have many public opportunities for volunteers to join!

support for volunteers

Participating volunteers will receive trash bags, gloves, litter grabbers, and vests, safety instructions, and guidance to find the litter. The City’s Neighborhood Improvement Services Department and Durham County General Services assure that collected litter is properly recycled or sent to the landfill.