After a year that, city officials said, saw more than 100,000 quality of life services addressed through Philadelphia’s One Philly, United City Cleaning Initiative, the city is bringing it back for another year.
On Monday, at Harrowgate Park in Philadelphia’s Kensington community, city officials announced that the program would be brought back for its second year and third iteration.
The initiative, which looks to tackle, what officials called in a statement, “persistent quality-of-life issues such as litter, illegal dumping, graffiti, abandoned vehicles, vacant lots, and nuisance properties,” will operated on a 13-week schedule from May 5 through August 1, 2025.
Just as last year, officials said, the initiative will be held twice this year, as well.
Also, in a statement on the launch of the cleaning program, city officials said it will “join the movement to remove 25 billion pieces of litter across the country by America’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026.
This effort is part of the Greatest American Cleanup.
“The Greatest American Cleanup and the Citywide Cleanup are deeply connected in the shared mission of revitalizing communities,” said Carlton Williams, Director of Philadelphia’s Department of Clean and Green Initiatives, in a statement. “While the national initiative inspires actions across the country, our local efforts bring that same spirit of environmental stewardship directly to our streets, creating a cleaner, greener, and safer city for everyone. We’re asking citizens to join the movement to get involved in the Greatest American Cleanup and help make America litter free by 2026.”
More than a dozen governmental agencies are involved in the cleaning initiative and, officials said, the plan has several components:
Officials said that teams from the Sanitation Department will hand clean and use mechanical equipment to remove debris and clean streets throughout Philly neighborhoods.
Then, once a block has been cleaned, a stencil of the Join the Fight logo will be placed on the streets.
Also, officials said, after the area has been cleaned, SWEEP officers “will patrol the area giving warnings and citations for deliberate violations and offer additional information to address nuisance violations.”
To learn more about all of the elements and agencies that will be a part of the One Philly, United City Cleaning Initiative, visit the city’s Office of Clean and Green.
