BILLINGS — More than 400 volunteers fanned out across Billings on Saturday morning, collecting trash and helping spruce up neighborhoods as part of the annual Great American Cleanup, a nationwide effort held around Earth Day.
Watch volunteers help beautify Billings in an annual cleanup:
The event is organized nationally by Keep America Beautiful and carried out locally by Bright n' Beautiful, a nonprofit that has led cleanup efforts in the city since 1988. This year marked the first time the group partnered with the City of Billings to expand the effort and address ongoing concerns about litter.
“It's so satisfying," said Cindy Peters, executive director of Bright n’ Beautiful. "Just knowing that there's 400 people out here today cleaning up who care about the litter in our community, it just makes you feel proud."
While volunteers worked across the city, a key focus area was near the Billings Landfill, where unbagged trash has recently been blowing into nearby fields and neighborhoods. The issue has drawn increased attention in recent months, fueled by complaints from residents.
Related: 'Trash over acres': Neighbors demand solution for garbage blown from Billings landfill
About 40 volunteers spent hours in the landfill vicinity, filling dozens of bags with debris scattered by the wind.
City officials say the cleanup is only part of a broader strategy. Bret Moore, the solid waste superintendent for the city, said the partnership with Bright n’ Beautiful is helping address the root causes of litter dispersal.
"Over the last four months, the biggest issue we've had via phone calls and social media has all been centered around the landfill and Hillcrest Road," said Moore. "Partnering with Bright n' Beautiful has allowed us to mitigate some of that.”
As part of the collaboration, the city is launching a new public awareness campaign called “Bag It, Tie It, Bin It,” aimed at reducing the amount of loose trash that can be carried away by wind. Officials said properly securing waste before it reaches the landfill can significantly limit how far it spreads.
“We're teammates, we're partners, we're trying to be proactive, but we can only do so much, and that is where the 'Bag it, Tie it, Bin it' initiative kind of arose from," said Moore. "When it's in the transfer station, and wind gusts come, there's less likely of the trash to blow out of the transfer station.”
Peters said the initiative complements the cleanup effort by encouraging prevention, not just collection.
"We love having all the people come out and help us pick it up, but we can also have all of that help with stopping the litter from where it's coming from,” she said.
Related: 'Help with litter': Hundreds of volunteers pick up trash in Billings for annual cleanup
Moore said additional improvements are planned at the landfill in the coming years, including transitioning to a lower working area and potentially redesigning fencing to better contain debris. In the meantime, they see education and community involvement as key steps.
"We're teammates in this, where it's not an us versus them. It's, how can you help and how can we help?" said Moore. "I see it as a great way to move forward, to keep the community engagement ... and just show them that we're people of Billings too. We care about our community just as much as they do.”
The annual cleanup continues to draw strong participation in Billings. In 2025 alone, Bright n’ Beautiful volunteers collected more than 20 tons of litter.
