Every September and October, groups from across Durham volunteer to pick up litter in their local neighborhoods, parks, and streams.

This is Durham's largest litter cleanup event of the year, coordinated by Keep Durham Beautiful, Durham County Soil and Water Conservation, and the City of Durham Stormwater & GIS Services Division, with additional support provided by the Durham County General Services Department and the City of Durham Neighborhood Improvement Services Department. 

Over 5100 Big Sweep volunteers have picked up 160,000 pounds of litter since 2005. In 2018, 539 Big Sweep volunteers removed 17,000 pounds of waste from 33 cleanup sites throughout Durham. Each year, the City’s Public Works Department coordinates Big Sweep with Keep Durham Beautiful and the Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District.

ARE YOU IN?
Volunteers can create a cleanup team with their own selected group, or can volunteer as individuals and be assigned to a team. If you don't have a particular site in mind, our staff can assist you in locating a cleanup site. While the official Big Sweep date is October 6, any date in September or October is eligible. 

JOIN A GROUP DIRECTLY
If you are registering as an individual volunteer, please view the group cleanups open to the public by following this link: https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/big-sweep.

Fill out the registration form at the bottom of the page and select a group to join from the list of clean-up opportunities. Thank you!