Smokey’s Cleanup Crew, a student organization focused on making the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UT) campus cleaner, hosts campus clean-ups every other Sunday. So far, the crew has held over 12 cleanups, collecting approximately 8,000 pounds of garbage, 60% of which is recycled. Students volunteer with the crew to better UT’s campus or to meet class/club volunteer hour requirements. Demand to help is so high that the group has had to cap cleanup involvement at 250 people to make sure there’s enough equipment and satisfying work for all.
"It's an amazing group of students and leadership,” faculty adviser and director of environmental studies Mike McKinney told Know News. “I've been at UTK for 37 years and have advised several groups and this is by far one of the most impressive in terms of how many people they get involved.”
After meeting as a large group at the designated time and place, groups of 3-4 people each then take their garbage bags and pickers anywhere they like on campus. They work for two hours before returning to the Student Union to drop off their collected trash and recyclables. And after large campus events, Smokey’s Cleanup Crew teams focus on high traffic areas.
Read more about it all here.
