Iowa City Litter Crew
Empowering people to pick up litter — connecting with nature and neighbors.
Join Our Next Cleanup
Empowering people to pick up litter — connecting with nature and neighbors.
Join Our Next CleanupThe Iowa City Litter Crew empowers people to pick up litter in order to connect with nature and neighbors.
Founded by Cara Keller in 2023, the Iowa City Litter Crew are volunteers who get together for monthly cleanups. We meet with business and community leaders to raise awareness of the need to manage litter and collaborate on practical solutions with relevant stakeholders.
We organize neighborhood litter pickups across Iowa City every month — tackling parks, trails, commercial corridors, and residential streets.
We partner with local businesses, the City of Iowa City, and community organizations to address the root causes of litter in our neighborhoods.
Volunteers photograph and tag litter using the OpenLitterMap app, building an open dataset that tracks pollution hotspots over time.
We believe in growing the next generation of environmental stewards, welcoming families, students, and youth groups to all our events.
Join us for our remaining 2026 cleanups. All events are free — supplies provided.
| Date | Location | RSVP |
|---|---|---|
| August 1, 2026 | Wetherby Park Walk | Meetup |
| September 6, 2026 | Ralston Creek | Meetup |
| October 3, 2026 | Miller Orchard Neighborhood | Meetup |
| October 17, 2026 | Northside Neighborhood | Meetup |
| November 7, 2026 | Sycamore Greenway | Meetup |
| November 14, 2026 | Whispering Meadows | Meetup |
Iowa City Litter Crew has been featured in local journalism and community storytelling projects.
Iowa City works to combat litter through city and volunteer programs — featuring the work of the Iowa City Litter Crew.
Read the article →An in-depth multimedia story about the Iowa City Litter Crew, produced through the University of Iowa School of Journalism.
Read the story →A short film produced by FilmScene as part of their RSFIC Community Stories series, documenting our volunteer cleanup work.
Watch the film →Beyond picking up litter, the Iowa City Litter Crew advocates for lasting change. Here are the concrete improvements we are working toward.
Install additional trash cans in locations that have demonstrated high litter density — making it easier for people to dispose of waste properly right where they are.
Dedicated litter reduction and storm sewer maintenance at the Whispering Meadows Wetland, one of Iowa City's most litter-impacted natural areas.
Expand Iowa's bottle deposit law to include non-carbonated beverages such as water bottles and energy drinks, and increase the deposit amount to better incentivize recycling.
Iowa City already has programs and initiatives working to improve cleanliness and community pride. Here's what's underway in our neighborhoods.
The Downtown District's Ambassador Program puts trained ambassadors on the streets to keep the downtown core clean, welcoming, and safe.
Learn more →The South of 6 District launched a grassroots Ambassador Program in partnership with Dream City, focusing on district cleanliness and youth employment.
Learn more →The City of Iowa City's Project Cleanup program provides resources and support for community litter cleanup efforts across neighborhoods.
Learn more →Other cities and counties have enacted programs and policies that directly reduce litter. Here are approaches we believe could work in Iowa City.
Street Teams hire and train people facing employment barriers to clean public spaces — combining environmental impact with workforce development.
streetsteam.org →Santa Cruz County, CA banned the sale of cigarettes with plastic filters — the most commonly littered plastic item in the world.
Read about the ban →Baltimore City banned single-use polystyrene foam food containers — a major source of long-lasting litter in waterways and parks.
Read about the ban →Carlsbad, CA enacted one of California's most comprehensive single-use plastics ordinances, targeting the packaging items most frequently found as litter.
Read about the ordinance →Recup and Rebol operate deposit-based reusable cup and bowl systems in Germany — a proven model for eliminating single-use coffee cup waste at scale.
Read about Recup → recup.earth →The litter we pick up in Iowa City isn't just unsightly — the materials themselves pose serious environmental and health risks.
Cigarette filters are the most commonly littered plastic item globally. They leach nicotine and heavy metals into soil and waterways, and take up to 10 years to break down.
Read more →Single-use e-cigarettes contain lithium batteries, heavy metals, and plastic. Improper disposal creates fire hazards and toxic contamination — and their use is rapidly growing.
Read more →Most disposable coffee cups have a plastic lining that makes them impossible to recycle. Billions end up in landfills and waterways each year.
Read more →Plastic bags clog storm drains, harm wildlife, and break into microplastics. An estimated 100 billion are used in the U.S. each year, with less than 1% recycled.
Read more →Since 2023, our volunteers have photographed and tagged over 30,000 litter items using the OpenLitterMap app. The data reveals patterns about what litter is most common, which brands appear most often, and how Iowa's bottle bill could be expanded.
Reducing litter starts with everyday choices. Here are simple things you can do right now.
Keep a reusable bag in your car or backpack so you're always ready. Plastic bags are one of the most common items found as litter in our neighborhoods.
Take your own cup for drinks to go and a container for leftovers when eating in. Request a mug when ordering for here. Single-use cups and food packaging make up a large share of what we pick up.
Get a small pocket-sized ashtray to carry with you, and dispose of cigarette butts in a trash can. Cigarette filters are the most littered item we find across Iowa City.
Choose businesses that are clearly making an effort to reduce single-use plastics and maintain a cleaner property — and let others know why you made that choice.
It may feel odd at first, but don't worry — all the cool people are doing it. A grocery bag is usually enough to fill on a dog walk.
Rather than recycling, take your redeemable containers to the Can Shed. It supports local jobs — and you can donate your redemption funds to a local cause.
Visit the Can Shed →When at home or picking up litter, keep these out of regular trash to prevent landfill fires:
Vapes & small electronics (including rechargeables such as electric toothbrushes) — collect and take them to the hazardous waste center at the landfill.
Hazardous waste drop-off →Batteries — Ace Hardware accepts them. Proper disposal prevents landfill fires.
Why it matters →OpenLitterMap is a tool developed and maintained by volunteers around the world. It's what we use to collect litter data while picking up — letting us track litter patterns by type, behavior, and density across Iowa City.
New to tagging? Watch this tutorial to see how it works.
Sign Up for OpenLitterMapLitter is a reflection of our values — our decisions about how we prioritize resources, and whether we pay the cost to reduce litter or externalize it to our wildlife, soil, water, and downstream communities. Do we put a trash can near a fishing area, or let litter wash downstream? Do we provide trash services for the unhoused, or create litter hotspots? Do we choose reusable cups or single-use plastic? Our litter data gives us a clearer view of the impact these decisions have — and where we can do better.
Litter cleanup doesn't have to be all business. Here are a couple of ways to make it a game.
Use the resources available through the City's Project Cleanup Program and organize a neighborhood Litter Bingo Contest to make cleaning up fun for everyone.
Project Cleanup → Play Litter Bingo →We're tracking Red Solo Cups across Iowa City — and we need your help. When you spot one, photograph it, upload it to OpenLitterMap, and tag it as red solo cup or rsc. Every tag adds to our map.
Open OpenLitterMap → See the Red Solo Cup Map →We're looking for dedicated volunteers to fill key roles. Whether you love photography, social media, or community outreach, there's a place for you on the Litter Crew.
Capture before-and-after shots at our events and document the transformation of Iowa City's streets and parks.
Help us tell our story online, grow our community, and celebrate the impact of our volunteers every month.
Connect with schools and youth organizations to bring the next generation into the fight against litter.
Be the point of contact for your neighborhood — organize local cleanups and build community partnerships.
Represent the Iowa City Litter Crew at community events — sign up for tabling opportunities and help spread the word about our mission.
Lead a team taking 10-minute snapshots of cigarette butt density across Iowa City parking lots — building a data picture of where the problem is worst and where it's improving.
