The Benefits of a Clean Environment

Keeping parks and natural spaces clean isn't just about making a community look nicer. There are clear, tangible benefits for everyone involved, especially those who pitch in to keep our communities clean.

Here are just a few of those benefits:

• Improved air quality

• Combatting climate change

• Improved water quality

• Biodiversity and Habitat Protection

• People act "greener"

Crucially, the last benefit listed is not something we can see at face value. Rather, when people see clean environments and natural spaces, they are "reminded" to be more environmentally aware. Here's an example, from the Government of Illinois:

This "green" consciousness is reflected in the growing eco-tourism industry, of which land preservation is the driving factor. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that in 1995 nearly 25 million visits to over 100 national wildlife refuges generated an estimated $245 million from non-consumptive uses only e.g. excluding hunting and fishing (US Dept of State website).

In conclusion, keeping parks clean and healthy through environmentally conscious actions benefits everyone in the community. It also creates a positive feedback cycle in terms of changing people's attitudes to being more aware of the nature around them.

#CASCleanup2021

Source: https://www.cmap.illinois.gov/about/2040/supporting-materials/process-archive/strategy-papers/parks-and-open-lands/environmental-benefits