Trash Panda Cleanups is a one-person litter cleanup operation hitting the streets of Saint Louis with a grabber, some bags, and the Trash Taxi. Every haul gets documented, aluminum cans get collected for local nonprofits, and every trip out proves that all it takes is one person who gives a damn. Want to help keep the operation running? Check out the supply wishlist. Follow along on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok and if you see me and the Trash Taxi out there, come say hi.
Just someone who got tired of driving past the same trash every day and waiting for someone else to deal with it. Spoiler: nobody was coming.
It started the same way every morning. The same commute, the same litter, the same feeling that someone should really do something. Eventually I realized that someone was me.
I started small. Just a grabber, a bag, and a stretch of road that needed some attention. But the more I cleaned, the more I saw, and the harder it was to ignore. So I kept going, slowly building out my cart (the Trash Taxi) into a one-person cleanup machine built for covering serious ground.
What started as one frustrated commuter taking matters into their own hands has grown into something I’m genuinely proud of. Trash Panda Cleanups is my small way of proving that you don’t need a big organization or a lot of resources to make your neighborhood a little better. You just need to show up.
Every cleanup runs on supplies and the most important one is bags. Lots of them. If you’d like to support Trash Panda Cleanups, I’ve put together an Amazon wish list with everything we use in the field. Every box of bags goes a long way toward keeping STL clean!
Since most of our cleanups are solo runs, if you’re looking to get involved in person with a crew, check out our friends at STL CleanupCrew. They host major cleanup projects every month and are always looking for passionate volunteers. Follow the link below to get involved!
The map below tracks our progress in Oakville, what's been cleaned and what's still on the list. We typically head out one day a weekend to knock out a section, and we're working on making this part of our daily routine too. Every time a section gets done, the map gets updated so you always know where things stand.If you want to help chip away at any of these areas, we'd love the backup. And if you've already cleaned a section not marked in green on the map, reach out with a photo of the bag (or bags), the date, and the street name with cross streets and we'll get it marked off. One person can only cover so much ground. If you want in, we'd love the help.
| Bags Collected | 29 |
| Pounds Removed | 300+ |