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Des Plaines proclaims April Earth Month; Cleanup Give Back says volunteers collected 30,250 pounds of plastic
Summary
Mayor Andrew Gajkowski proclaimed April as Earth Month and invited Cleanup Give Back to accept the proclamation. Anna Sabrina told the council the group collected 30,250 pounds of plastic in 2025 and described ongoing bag‑collection and reusable‑tote efforts.
Mayor Andrew Gajkowski opened the Des Plaines City Council meeting on April 6 by proclaiming April as Earth Month and inviting representatives of Cleanup Give Back to accept the recognition.
"First, I wanna, thank the city of Des Plaines for all their support for our group throughout the years," Anna Sabrina said after accepting the proclamation. Sabrina described a range of activities planned for Earth Month, including five large cleanups across Chicagoland, a reusable‑tote initiative and a plastic‑bag collection program that places collection boxes at local locations.
Sabrina told the council that in 2025 Cleanup Give Back collected 30,250 pounds of plastic and that local groups in Des Plaines contributed collections topping 1,000 pounds each. She said collected plastic is sent to a company called Trex, which manufactures decking from the material.
The mayor noted the city’s participation in programs such as Tree City USA and encouraged residents to adopt eco‑friendly practices during April. He also promoted the city’s Axe Head Lake community trash cleanup on April 11 and an April 22 community survey to inform the city’s updated sustainability plan.
City staff and council members thanked Cleanup Give Back and highlighted volunteer contributions; no formal action was required for the proclamation.
The council moved on to other agenda items after the presentation.
