Great East End Cleanup to Take Place This Weekend

Southampton Town’s Great East End Cleanup, a volunteer-based program to remove litter and debris from local roadsides, parks, trails, and beaches, will take place on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19.

Last year 650 volunteers removed over 30 tons of litter and debris, including 1.3 tons of metal that was sorted for recycling, from beaches, parks, trails, and roadsides.

To participate, all volunteers have to do is select an area of public property such as a park, beach, roadside, or trail that’s in need of cleaning and start cleaning.

Supplies can be picked up at the Southampton Town Hall Citizens’ Response Center located at 116 Hampton Road in Southampton or the North Sea Transfer Station office located at 1370 Majors Path in North Sea until Friday, April 17.

Several recycling center will be accessible to Great East End Clean-Up volunteers who present a Disposal Center Pass, which may be used repeatedly throughout the weekend, but is only valid this weekend from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Recycling Centers that will be open for volunteers to drop off the collected litter include:

• Westhampton Transfer Station - 66 Old Country Road, Westhampton (Most convenient drop-off for volunteers working in the Westhampton, Speonk, Remsenburg, and Quogue areas.)
• Hampton Bays Transfer Station - 26 Jackson Avenue, Hampton Bays (Most convenient drop-off for volunteers working in Riverside, Flanders, Red Creek, East Quogue, Hampton Bays, and Shinnecock Hills areas.)
• North Sea Transfer Station - 1370 Majors Path, North Sea (Most convenient drop-off for volunteers working in the Southampton, Tuckahoe, Sebonac, Water Mill, North Sea, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, Sagaponack, Noyac and North Haven areas.)

Entry at any other time will not be permitted, and dumping material outside the gates is strictly prohibited.

The Great East End Clean-Up is intended for the clean-up and proper disposal of illegally dumped rubbish, litter, and garbage and not for the free disposal of household items or other materials self-haulers wish to dump without paying a disposal center fee.

Attempts by volunteers to avoid a fee for disposal of personal items may result in the revocation of the dumping privileges during the Great East End Clean-Up.

Litter pick sticks are available for purchase or rental from the Town at $5 each.

Volunteers must return all rented sticks to North Sea Recycling Center by May 8, 2015 in order to receive a refund of the deposit placed.

The following items will not be accepted during the Clean-up: boats, jet skis, car parts, tree trunks, tree stumps, land clearing debris, etc.

Participants are asked to keep all plastic grocery bags collected during the clean-up in a separate garbage bag for recycling.

For any problems or questions on the day of the event, contact the North Sea Transfer Station at 631-283-5270.

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