Providing Leadership and Education in Community Beautification, Litter Prevention and Recycling
Serving the residents of Putnam County
Who We Are
The Keep Putnam County Beautiful Clean Commission is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Cookeville, TN serving the residents of Putnam County. For more than 30 years, the Clean Commission has worked tirelessly to prevent litter, clean up illegal dumps, increase access to recycling and educate the next generation on the importance of responsible solid waste management.
What We Do
These are the ongoing programs and activities of the Clean Commission.
We need your support to keep these programs going!
Cleaning Up Illegal Dumps
At Keep Putnam County Beautiful Clean Commission, we have worked with the county, state and willing landowners to clean up ten legacy dumps across the county, deploying an army of volunteers to remove years’ worth of household waste and thousands of tires. We post signs at these locations to discourage future dumping and work with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office to discourage those who dump.
Litter Prevention and Pickup
We administer the Putnam County Adopt-a-Road program. Presently we have 30 active groups cleaning 30 miles of city roads. Last year we recorded 734 volunteers participating in the program who spent 1884 hours collecting 256 bags of garbage from our roads. We provide volunteers with cleanup supplies and a road sign recognizing their efforts after three road cleanups in a year.
Access to Recycling
For 30 years, we have worked alongside the Putnam County Solid Waste Department to increase recycling access. We started by hosting two recycling events per year in the 1980’s. Today, recycling is offered at all sixteen permanent recycling facilities across the county; businesses can register for recycling, several Putnam County Schools are recycling in the lunchroom and Cookeville is exploring curbside recycling through a pilot project. We also provide recycling services to several community events.
Engaging with the Next Generation
We understand that the future of responsible solid waste management lies with our children. We have developed several classroom activities demonstrating the benefits of recycling and living in a clean environment free of litter. We also facilitate a lunchroom recycling program that empowers students to participate in a better future and generates extra funding for schools.
Recognizing Green Business Leaders
The Go Green Business Award recognizes those businesses following good environmental practices. They are presented with a certificate, yard sign and featured article in the Herald-Citizen.
Contact Us
931-537-3278