Early risers in Downtown Columbus, Ohio, made a visible difference this past weekend, as local volunteer group Trash Party gathered along the Scioto River for their latest cleanup effort. By the time the event wrapped, the team had hauled away an incredible 1,900 pounds of trash, restoring a stretch of the city’s riverfront to something far cleaner and greener.
Dozens of volunteers with Trash Party, a grassroots cleanup crew, gathered downtown on a sunny morning to tackle the floodplain areas along the Scioto River. In just a few hours, the team hauled away more than 1,900 pounds of garbage; that’s over 130 bags of trash, plus bulk finds like rusted bicycles, propane tanks, and even an old chainsaw.
“It’s amazing how much can be done when people come together,” said a Trash Party organizer on Reddit. “We’re all just trying to make the city cleaner and a little more beautiful.”
This latest cleanup pushes Trash Party’s grand total to an eye-opening 48,400 pounds of litter removed from Columbus neighborhoods and riverbanks, all through volunteer effort. The group’s social media pages, especially @trashparty614 on Instagram, have become rallying points for residents eager to lend a hand (or a trash grabber).
The group’s events aren’t just about the cleanup, either. They’ve evolved into genuine community gatherings, part environmental mission, part social meetup. Volunteers share laughs, stories, and occasionally the bizarre treasures pulled from the river. (Recent finds include a snowblower from the ’80s and multiple baby doll heads).
Next up, Trash Party will head to Franklinton on Sunday, October 12th, from 9 a.m. to noon, for their next cleanup event. Anyone interested can sign up via the link in their Reddit post or reach out to be added to the group’s weekly mailing list.
So yes… people are sick. Sick of seeing litter in the city they love. Sick in the best possible sense: the kind that rolls up its sleeves, grabs a trash bag, and gets to work making Columbus shine a little brighter.
