A nonprofit volunteer group tackling Chicago’s litter pollution problems through cleanups, city outreach,
and promoting waste reduction.

Founded in July 2020, Cleanup Club Chicago is a dedicated group of Chicago residents who care about the environment and taking care of our community. We combat litter by organizing group cleanups on both land and water, promoting individual cleanup challenges, collaborating with the city to tackle litter removal and reduction, and fostering a culture that discourages wasteful practices. We maintain a network of Cleanup Captains across the city, enabling us to engage with a diverse array of neighborhoods. We now have nonprofit status through the Illinois Environmental Council!

Our collective impact as of May 31, 2025, was:

4,326 kitchen-sized bags of litter
37,598 lbs of trash removed (est)

Logo/Banner Credit: Kara Cooke

2025 Group Event Schedule

Cleanups and other events are added to this page on a rolling basis, once details are set.

2025 Cleanups

March 22: Logan Square Cleanup
March 30: Ohio Street Beach Cleanup - Rescheduled for April 12
Earth Month Cleanup Challenge: Details Coming Soon
April 5: Ravenswood Avenue (in Ravenswood)
April 6 (Morning): South Lawndale Cleanup (Afternoon): North Lawndale Cleanup
April 12: Ohio Street Beach Rescheduled
April 26: Garfield Park Earth Day Cleanup
May 10: My Chicago River Day - Goose Island
May 17: Kathy Osterman Beach Kid-Friendly Cleanup
May 31: Pilsen Canalport Cleanup with Bike Brigade!
June 7: Tabling at 47th Ward Eco Fest (Ravenswood) - T-Shirts for Sale!
June 12: Diversey/California Highway Cleanup
June 19: DB Sterlin Private Cleanup
June 21: Tabling at REFest (Bucktown)
June 22: Humboldt Park Cleanup
June 25: Pilsen Canalport PART 2 - Details Coming Soon
July 12: Pilsen 16th Street - Details Coming Soon
July 24: 5th Birthday Party / Fundraiser! Details Coming Soon
July 26: McKinley Park
August 1-31: August Zone Battle