Allen is a clean, delightful city. But that doesn’t mean extra trash doesn’t get built up from time to time. In April, Allen residents showed up in force to take part in the 2025 Great American Cleanup, and their efforts made a massive impact.
Held at the Allen Municipal Service Center, the annual event offered a one-stop drop-off for recycling, donations and safe disposal, drawing more than 950 vehicles packed with reusable and recyclable materials.
Each vehicle carried at least two Allen residents, making it a true community-wide turnout. Together, participants helped divert an estimated 65,738 pounds of waste from the landfill through recycling and donations.
What Was Collected
The event served as a convenient and environmentally conscious way for residents to responsibly part with a wide variety of items. Collected materials included electronics, cardboard, documents for shredding, pet supplies, unused medication, bicycles, household goods and shoes.
Partners such as Community Waste Disposal (CWD), Trusted World, Salvation Army, ReCycles of McKinney, IER Electronics Recycling and Secure On Site Shredding helped facilitate the sorting and proper handling of donated and discarded goods.
The event’s success was the result of a coordinated effort between the city of Allen and several local organizations, including Keep Allen Beautiful (KAB), Allen CERT, City of Allen Animal Services, Allen Police Department and Allen Community Lions Club. KAB board members also handed out free resources to every vehicle, including stormwater information, CWD totes, doggie litter bags and irrigation rain gauges.
Cleaning Up Beyond the Drop-Off
In addition to the drop-off event, the day featured three litter cleanups spanning 7.5 miles of roadways and green spaces. Supported by 15 volunteers from two community groups, these cleanups collected an additional 27 pounds of litter from around Allen.
“The Great American Cleanup continues to showcase the power of community collaboration in creating a cleaner, more sustainable Allen,” the city said in a statement.
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