On March 26, 2022, the River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash® (Trash Bash®) is excited to invite volunteers back in-person to participate in its 28th annual cleanup of the Galveston Bay watershed. Trash Bash® is proud of its heritage as the largest, single-day, waterway cleanup in Texas. Due to COVID-19 Trash Bash® has been unable to hold in-person cleanups since 2019, when about 4,300 volunteers collected 57 tons of trash, three tons for recycling, and 513 tires, while cleaning almost 160 miles of shoreline.
After almost three decades the numbers are impressive. More than 114,000 volunteers have collected 2,336 tons of trash, 20.25 tons for recycling, and 11,629 tires. Trash Bash® makes a big impact on Texas waterways, especially given its location at the end of the trash stream, the Galveston Bay watershed. After two years without in-person cleanups, we hope volunteers are more ready than ever to help “Clean it like you mean it !”®
“The fact that Trash Bash has been such a successful cleanup event for 28 years now is a result of the wonderful volunteers who come out each March to help keep our waterways clean and beautiful. We hope that volunteers, both old and new, are as excited to join us on March 26 as we are to welcome them back,” said Lori Traweek, president of the nonprofit Texas Conservation Fund, which manages Trash Bash® with administrative support by the Houston-Galveston Area Council, Gulf Coast Authority, and a volunteer steering committee.
The cleanup’s mission is to promote environmental stewardship of the watershed through public education utilizing hands-on educational tools and developing partnerships between environmental, governmental, and private organizations. “It’s a great opportunity for residents, students, and businesses to get hands-on experience about the effects of littering and learn about simple ways to reduce water pollution at home through interactive educational exhibits,” said Traweek. Volunteers are provided with cleanup supplies, receive an official Trash Bash® t-shirt, lunch after the cleanup, and can win great door prizes. A commemorative patch is available for Scouts and collectors.
In addition to welcoming back volunteers, Trash Bash® would like to thank all the sponsors who continue to show their support for the event and their commitment to a cleaner Galveston Bay watershed. “The financial catalyst for Trash Bash’s continued success is our committed sponsors,” said Traweek. “They believe in what we are trying to accomplish with our message that prevention is key to controlling litter and we are all responsible to do our part.” Multiple sponsorship levels for gift-in-kind and monetary donations are available for corporations, organizations, and private citizens to support the event each year. Platinum Level Sponsors who have helped us return in 2022 include HEB, Republic Services, Harris County Flood Control District, Ozarka, Port Houston, Covestro, Total Energies, Sabic, Lubrizol, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Lyondell Basell, and Skyward Specialty Insurance, and the Galveston Bay Estuary Program.
For more information on the 2022 Trash Bash®, including public safety guidelines and new online registration links, visit TrashBash.org, call 281-486-9500, or email WaterResources@h-gac.com.
