Litter Cleanups
20 Minute Cleanup
Thank you to the 180 people who did 2023 cleanups and reported results. The Thank You List and Photo Album are below. Thanks for your dedication and a shout out to all the other folks out there who pick up litter. See you again in 2024!
The 20 Minute Cleanup is an annual Howard County spring cleaning project held the whole month of April. Most years, businesses, schools, community groups, neighbors and individuals help keep trash out of the environment.

How to Participate
Participating in the 20 Minute Cleanup is easy. Just pick a location and then safely pick up the litter that you find. Use your regular trash and recycling pickup service to dispose of what you collect.
Once volunteers do a cleanup, we ask that they send an email to 20minutecleanup@howardcountymd.gov with the number of people who participated and how many bags of trash and recycling collected. Pictures are encouraged! We post the results and thank all the participants on this website. Cleanup results can also be shared on social media using @livegreenhoward and #20minutecleanup.
If you have any questions about how to participate, please check out our 20 Minute Cleanup FAQ’s. Or email us. Here is a copy of the printable flyer. Feel free to use the flyer to help promote the project and get people involved.
Since 2010, over 18,000 people have participated! Most did more than 20 minutes, but at 20 minutes each, that’s over 6,000 hours of volunteering! Thank you Howard County – let’s keep it going. By working together, we make a real difference.
2023 Thank You List | 2023 Photo Album
2022 Thank You List | 2022 Photo Album
2021 – cleanup was on, but due to COVID it was not promoted and results were not tracked.
2020 – cancelled due to COVID stay at home order.
2019 Thank You List | 2019 Photo Album
2018 Thank You List | 2018 Photo Album
2017 Thank You List | 2017 Photo Album
2016 Thank You List | 2016 Photo Album
Stream Cleanups
Howard County participates in at least two stream cleanup projects per year. The Recreation and Parks Department leads cleanups each fall as part of the International Coastal Cleanup. In the spring, we participate in Project Clean Stream. If you would like to find out when these cleanups are happening, join our volunteer mailing list or follow livegreenhoward on social media.
Adopt-A-Road
The Howard County Department of Public Works is committed to providing the citizens of Howard County with a clean and environmentally safe community. Street sweeping is performed on most county roads four times a year. The Bureau of Highways road crews consistently travel throughout the county cleaning up debris on county roads. The Bureau of Highways also operates an Adopt-A-Road program.
Hundreds of Howard County citizens are making a difference by volunteering to monitor and clean up roadsides. Groups adopt a one to three mile section of a county road for a minimum of two years. Litter is collected as needed, at a minimum of four times per year with a major clean-up each spring.