Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles environmentalists square off in litter cleanup contest

Three cities are talking trash to create good, clean fun. Environmental groups in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia are competing to see who can clear the most litter from their public spaces this month.

Like any competitor, Katherine Tellock, executive director and co-founder of Cleanup Club Chicago, comes prepared. She's got her bucket, gloves, and 13-gallon waste bags for a dirty competition; something they're calling The Clean-Off

"Things are going pretty well. Chicago was leading in the first week, but this week we are now trailing Los Angeles," she said.

The competition pits cities against each other for the month of October to see who can collect the most litter.

Last year, Tellock said Chicago's team collected a combined seven tons of trash, with 1,000 volunteers tracking submissions online with photo proof for every bag collected.

In their inaugural outing, Chicago barely swept past Philadelphia.

"We're still a little salty about it. We lost by four bags," said Amanda Block, of Block By Block Philadelphia.

Organizers with Block By Block Philadelphia said they believe the competition does drive up their participation levels.

"I think people are very activated to not only come to group cleanups, but to clean up their blocks individually. So, it's really fun to see," David Evans said. 

"We're usually the underdogs, but we were ready for this," Block said.

This year, a new recruit – Los Angeles – is shaking things up and taking the lead so far.

"Yeah, I'm proud. We are the dirtiest," said Carlos Cabrera, of South Central Cleanup.

Tellock said there's still a lot of time for a comeback.

"There may be a winner, but there are no losers," she said.

Cleanup Club Chicago has several group events planned for this weekend, but you can also collect and submit trash totals on your own.