Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful launches

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A community assessment by OneSpartanburg found that keeping the city clean is a priority. As a result, OneSpartanburg and the Spartanburg County Environmental Enforcement Department are establishing a Keep South Carolina Beautiful affiliate in Spartanburg.

Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful will tackle the problem of litter by coordinating volunteer roadside cleanups and promoting anti-litter education across the county, according to a news release. The effort is inspired by the OneSpartanburg community assessment, showing residents believe an improved community appearance increases the health, safety and quality of life, along with the potential for countywide economic growth and development.

“The affiliate will work to see this task is accomplished by partnering with current projects underway and promoting new beautification projects. The affiliate will determine a need and develop a volunteer based roadside clean ups county wide,” said Jamie Nelson, director of the Spartanburg County Environmental Enforcement Department, in the release. “The affiliate will work with local forms of government, law enforcement and citizen groups pushing the message that we care about our Spartanburg, stop trashing it up.”

Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful will focus on the beautification and revitalization of corridors countywide and the gateways welcoming visitors, tourists and potential residents to Spartanburg County, according to the release.

A cleanup day organized by OneSpartanburg in late-October featured volunteers picking up 62 total bags of litter, totaling about 1,550 pounds of trash removed from alongside roadways in Spartanburg and Inman.

The Spartanburg County Environmental Enforcement Department will run the daily operations of Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful with the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce running the administrative portion of the effort.

Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful will be a countywide affiliate of Keep South Carolina Beautiful, under the Keep America Beautiful umbrella.

“We believe it’s time to say One Beautiful Spartanburg, with the understanding this phrase includes all areas that fall within our borders, incorporated and unincorporated,” Nelson said, in the release.