Inversion Gym volunteers fill bags of garbage on May 6. Photo/Amy Thompson

The record-breaking winter revealed record-breaking amounts of litter as the snow melted. 

On May 6, 118 volunteers scoured South Tahoe neighborhoods to help clean it up and kick off the summer with a litter-free town.  The groups covered 15 locations, and gathered 1,484 pounds of trash and debris.  

Volunteers took to the streets around Stateline, Bijou, Al Tahoe, Lakeview Commons, Sierra Tract, Tahoe Island, Gardner Mountain, the Y, and Meyers. Some neighborhoods had multiple groups fanning out to cover more ground.  

The overwhelming majority of the litter was single-use plastics, packaging, and cigarette butts. Volunteers reported finding a variety of other items as well: broken and discarded bicycles, clothing, diapers, dog poop bags, car parts, and drug paraphernalia.

The event was coordinated by the Clean Tahoe Program, with the help of sponsors Harrah’s/Harveys Lake Tahoe and South Tahoe Refuse. In addition, a number of local businesses and organizations participated by coordinating volunteers, including: Harrah’s HEROs program, Hard Rock casino, Hard Rock Café, Inversion Gym, and Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless.