Take care of Your City

One great thing about our City is our ability to come together when it matters most, both in celebrations and times of need. We ask you to join us in our continued effort to take care of our city and help Clean up NOLA.

There are simple things we can all do each day to help take care of the City we love so much. Challenge yourself to do at least one of these each week!

Catch Basins & Drains

Sign up to adopt a catch basin. Excessive debris inside a catch basin can clog our drainage system. You can help by keeping catch basins near your home clean.
Avoid parking on catch basins. It can damage our drainage system as well as your property.
Only rain down the drain! Avoid sweeping, blowing, or pouring items into storm drains. Water from storm drains flow into Lake Pontchartrain.

Report problems to 311

Contact 311 to report graffiti and damage to signs and buildings so the City can follow up.
Call NOLA311 to schedule curbside pick up of bulky waste such as furniture

Be mindful of pets and pests.

Do not leave food for pets outside. It can cause unwanted pests. Instead, put food out at the same time each day, watch your pets eat, and then take the food back inside.
Pick up after pets.
Donate unwanted items to the homeless through a charitable organization instead of leaving food and clothing outside where it can attract rodents.

Properly Dispose of Litter

Know your garbage pick up days.
Pitch In! See litter? Throw it away! Everyone can do their part.
No Butts About It! Cigarette butts are the most frequently littered item. 65% end up as litter.
Keep Public Spaces Free of Litter. Use available trash and recycling bins to properly dispose of your waste.

Clean up around your property and your neighborhood.

Be a "Guardian of the Clean" Ask your neighborhood organization about community cleanup days or join a neighborhood clean up.
Keep your property clean, and encourage you neighbors to do so, too. Code Enforcement is willing to help residents who are actively working to address issues. If you see a property that violates City Code, call 311 to report it.

Recycling at home

Did you know the City of New Orleans offers free weekly curbside recycling to eligible properties? You can also drop off recycling the second and fourth Saturday of each month at 2829 Elysian Fields between 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Recycling helps our community, and the environment by saving money, energy, and natural resources. Get started:

Recycling Companies

Recycling at school

Recycling isn’t just for adults. Even little kids can make a big impact. These tips will help organize recycling efforts and empower youth to get involved in taking care of our environment.

Education
Programs like NASA’s Climate Kids teach youth how items like cereal boxes and milk cartons can be recycled.

The Green Project provides free recycling lessons to New Orleans students both in schools and at The Green Project’s Salvage Store and Paint Recycling center. To learn more or schedule a lesson, email education@thegreenproject.org.

Grant funding
Organizations like Keep Louisiana Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful support recycling initiatives.

Team up
Everyone loves a fun and friendly competition.

Start a recycling program
Request recycling bins in your school and start a program of your own.

The Green Project helps schools implement and sustain school-wide recycling programs through their Student-led Recycling Initiative. To learn more and get involved, email education@thegreenproject.org.

Recycle Mardi Gras beads.
ARC of Greater New Orleans turns beads into jobs. ArcGNO creates wage-earning jobs for individuals with intellectual disabilities by recycling Mardi Gras throws.