Drivers on Sunday were more likely to see people littering the city's green spaces than garbage as volunteers stuffed refuse into big yellow bags for the annual city-wide spring clean.
The one-day civic minded tradition has been going on for more than 20 years, said the Recycling and Environmental Action Planning Society, which organized the event.
"There's always been a lot of community support but it's been really cool just to see it on a beautiful day like (Sunday) with everybody out there pitching in and carrying those yellow bags around and just really showing the community spirit," said Terri McClymont, REAPS executive director, adding the sunny weather really helps to bring the people out.
"It's great not seeing litter around our beautiful city."
McClymont said more than 1,000 people had registered for the clean up Prince George's parks, streets, streams and playgrounds.
Those people were finding a real range of items on Sunday, she said.
"Lots of fast food, lots of disposable coffee cups, paper, cardboard, people have been finding tires, parts for swimming pools... refrigerators, stoves, a whole variety of weird things."
Volunteers piled garbage high at roadsides while others with vehicles trucked some of the bigger items - like refrigerators - to recycling facilities. City crews were already out Sunday helping with the clean up, she said.
McClymont said it's important we keep litter off the land.
"The litter affects every aspect of our planet: the water the land, the air. If it's oil or paint, it gets seeped into the land, it seeps into the water. The litter also plugs our storm drain, it floats down into the river and things left sitting decompose and hurts the environment."
