Spring has officially sprung, and Marshall County Crossroads (“Crossroads”) is inviting the community to clean up your favorite block, street, and park during the Community Cleanup Challenge.  

Between April 14 – 29, team up with Marshall County Crossroads and the Recycle Depot, as well as your neighbors, friends, youth groups, clubs, and colleagues, to build a sense of pride as we work together throughout our great hometowns in cleaning up litter.  

  • Grab trash bags from home 
  • Head to the nearest pile of litter 
  • Bring bagged trash to the Depot during business hours or by appointment 
  • Reserve the new Community Clean-Up Trailer if you have at least 5 people 

Don’t forget to take lots of pictures of your clean-up and add them to social media!  Promote your clean-up efforts by tagging @GreatHometowns and the Recycle Depot. Before your event, email your flyers to MarshallCountyStellar@gmail.com and they will post them on their website to spread the word. 

Leading the way is Marianne Peters, Executive Director of the Marshall County Recycle Depot.  On point for Crossroads is long-time Plymouth community leader Randy Danielson.  “Litter seems to be getting worse, especially along our roadsides, and it’s frustrating when people are careless about where they dump their trash,” states Marianne Peters, Executive Director of the Recycle Depot. “However, a clean community is everyone’s responsibility. That is why we were thrilled Crossroads reached out to us with this cleanup partnership.”  

 Danielson states, “This initiative was introduced in 2020 and although curtailed by COVID, some were able to make a difference in the landscape. Many civic groups around Marshall County have already announced their plans and clean up locations.” 

Thanks to a grant from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Recycle Depot was able to acquire a Community Clean-Up Trailer.  Marshall County groups of five or more can borrow the trailer for litter pick-up, environmental restoration, or tree planting. Reserve the trailer by calling the Recycle Depot or checking out their website under Programs/Community Cleanup Trailer.

Trash bags and personal protective equipment provided by INDOT will be available during regular business hours at the Recycle Depot in Plymouth at 1900 Walter Glaub Drive. Yard signs are available at the Depot or Bowen Printing in Plymouth. 

Litter picked up during the challenge can be dropped off at the Recycle Depot during regular business hours, thanks to a donated roll-off box from Waste Management.  All litter must be bagged. No large items will be accepted. If desired, participants may pre-sort collected aluminum cans and glass and plastic beverage containers for recycling at the Recycle Depot if the containers are clean and dry.   

Earth Day is April 22nd . On April 22, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. the Recycle Depot will host a variety of Earth Day activities, including Depot tours, the annual Depot tree sapling giveaway ($1 donation per tree), and extra varieties of trees available through partner Marshall County Soil & Water.   Each donation will be used to plant a tree by the Trees for the Future foundation, which is helping to create forest gardens in sub-Saharan Africa to combat the effects of climate change.  

To learn more visit https://www.marshallcountycrossroads.com/communitycleanup and www.myrecycledepot.org.  

About Marshall County Crossroads  

Marshall County Crossroads is a collaboration of leaders from across the region that engages with and inspires our communities to connect, collaborate, and create high-quality hometowns. This will be done by creating healthy, livable, thriving, and sustainable communities that provide current and future residents of all ages, races, and genders the best hometowns in the Midwest to live, work and play. www.MarshallCountyCrossroads.com. Social Media Handle: @GreatHometowns