Litter Reduction Program

We removed 76.89 tons of trash from January 1st -November 8th , 2025!

Keep Akron Beautiful litter and illegal dumping removal is performed Monday through Friday throughout the year by an in-house litter crew who supervises court-ordered community service workers.

Workers pick up litter at our city on and off ramps on a loop and know a lot of the heavily littered public areas of the city to check and clean regularly. During inclement weather, the crews remove litter from underneath bridges and assist city with sidewalk snow removal.

As a person living or working in Akron, you can call us at 330-375-2116 to perform a litter sweep or illegal dumping removal at a public space, keeping in mind that we are unable go to construction areas, expressways, waterways, and other unsafe areas.

*Note that a vacant lot is not the same as a public space and must be reported to the city.

*Before posting garage sale, event, or other signage, see information on illegal signs in the City of Akron: here.

Important phone numbers to reference:

·         If you see a littered public street or park, call Keep Akron Beautiful at 330-375-2116.

·         For littered vacant lots or other personal property, call City Customer Service at 330-375-2311.

·         If you are witnessing an illegal dumping in progress, call police at 330-375-2181.

Note that it is difficult to fine for littering or dumping unless they are caught in the act by police.

For additional questions, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

Be a leader, discourage friends and family from littering, pick up litter when you see it, report dumpings and organize a cleanup to help Keep Akron Beautiful. If every Akronite picked up just one piece of litter each day, 199,210 pieces of litter would be removed.

 

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Additional Resources:

2026 COMMUNITY APPERANCE INDEX RESULTS

Community Appearance Index (CAI), a nationally recognized assessment developed by Keep America Beautiful that provides an objective, data-driven snapshot of Akron’s visible appearance.

The Community Appearance Index evaluates three key indicators that influence residents’ quality of life and perceptions of their neighborhoods:

•Litter
•Illegal signs
•Graffiti

Three independent evaluators surveyed 63 locations across all ten Akron City Council wards, using a standardized four-point scale:
1 – Minimal or No Presence
2 – Light Presence
3 – Moderate Presence
4 – Heavy Presence

The Community Appearance Index serves as a benchmark to identify community needs, prioritize resources, and measure progress over time. 

Category 

Average Score 

Overall Rating 

Litter 

2.14 

High Presence 

Illegal Signs 

1.65 

Light Presence 

Graffiti 

1.33 

Minimal Presence 

Ward Highlights 

Litter 

  • Ward 5: 3.00 (Highest) 
  • Ward 4: 2.61 
  • Ward 3: 2.38 

Illegal Signs 

  • Ward 4: 2.61 (Highest) 
  • Ward 6: 1.76 
  • Wards 1, 3, 5, and 9: 1.71–1.73 

Graffiti 

  • Ward 5: 2.11 (Highest) 

The 2026 survey reinforces several important trends throughout Akron. Litter remains Akron’s greatest community appearance challenge. 

With an average score of 2.14, litter continues to be the most visible issue affecting neighborhoods across the city. While Akron’s overall rating falls within the Light Presence category, several locations scored significantly higher, helping identify where future cleanup and prevention efforts should be concentrated. 

Illegal signs continue to impact neighborhood appearance. Illegal signs received an average score of 1.65, indicating continued opportunities for education, enforcement, and routine removal throughout the city. 

Graffiti earned an average score of 1.33, reflecting minimal graffiti across most of Akron. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of ongoing graffiti abatement efforts and the rapid response partnership between Keep Akron Beautiful and the City of Akron. 

Notably, nine of Akron’s ten wards scored below 1.75 for graffiti, demonstrating that graffiti remains minimal throughout most of the city.