Mission & History
Doing beautiful things since 1953
What began as one meeting in New York City is now a network of local affiliates in towns and cities across the country.
Our mission
Our mission is to inspire and educate people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment.
Quick Facts
Founded in 1953
National nonprofit focused on litter prevention and reduction, recycling, beautification, and community improvement
Based in Stamford, Connecticut with network of 731 local affiliates across the United States
Who Are We
Keep America Beautiful is a national nonprofit organization working with local affiliates, volunteers, public agencies, and corporate partners to reduce litter, increase recycling, and improve communities across the nation.
We believe everyone deserves to live in a clean, green, and beautiful community. Together with our nationwide network of affiliates, we support local programs that bring people together to care for the places where they live.
Today, our network includes more than 730 community-based affiliates working in towns and cities across the country. These local leaders, volunteers, and partners carry out programs that range from litter cleanups and recycling education to tree planting, neighborhood revitalization, and beautification of public spaces.
Our History
Our story began in 1953, when organizations representing civic groups, conservation organizations, corporations, and government agencies came together to find solutions to the growing national concern of litter along America’s highways and public spaces. That initial meeting would eventually evolve into Keep America Beautiful, an organization founded on the idea that improving communities requires collaboration and action among citizens, organizations, government, and business.
Key Milestones in Our History
On October 15, 1953, representatives from civic organizations, conservation groups, government agencies, and industry met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City to discuss how to tackle the growing problem of litter along America’s highways and roadsides
The meeting organized what became known as the Keep Our Roadsides Clean Council, bringing together groups such as the Izaak Walton League of America, the National Council of State Garden Clubs, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Automobile Association, state highway departments, and representatives from the packaging and beverage industries.
Those gathered recognized the negative impact that litter was having on communities and public landscapes—and that solving it would require cooperation across sectors. Within a year, that collaboration evolved into Keep America Beautiful, a national nonprofit dedicated to litter prevention and community improvement.
The milestones that shaped our work, from our first campaigns to today.
1950s–1970s
1956
The first national Keep America Beautiful public service announcement (PSA) promoting litter prevention airs.
1963
Keep America Beautiful is formally incorporated as a national nonprofit organization dedicated to litter prevention and community improvement.
1965
First Lady Claudia ‘Lady Bird’ Johnson partners with Keep America Beautiful to promote highway beautification and stewardship of America’s landscapes.
1967
Television star Lassie appears as the mascot of a national anti-litter campaign.
1968
Keep America Beautiful conducts the first National Litter Study, providing baseline data on litter in the United States.
1969
Keep America Beautiful expands its national anti-litter advertising campaign across television, radio, and print.
1970
Keep America Beautiful participates in activities surrounding the first Earth Day.
1971
In partnership with the Ad Council, Keep America Beautiful launches the ‘Crying Indian’ public service announcement.
1973
Keep America Beautiful releases research examining why people litter and the primary sources of litter.
1976
Keep America Beautiful introduces the Clean Community System, establishing a framework for local community programs.
1978
Georgia Clean & Beautiful becomes the first statewide Keep America Beautiful program.
1979
Keep America Beautiful introduces Waste in Place, an environmental education curriculum used in classrooms nationwide.
1980s–1990s
1981
Keep America Beautiful establishes community certification standards for recognizing official affiliates.
1984
The first Public Lands Day mobilizes volunteers nationwide to support cleanup and improvement projects on public lands.
1985
Keep America Beautiful and GLAD launch the GLAD Bag-a-Thon volunteer cleanup program.
1988
Keep America Beautiful establishes a Solid Waste Committee to address emerging waste management and recycling issues.
1989
The Keep America Beautiful affiliate network reaches 300 local programs.
1994
Keep America Beautiful expands its mission to include community improvement, waste reduction, recycling, and beautification.
Expanding the Mission
In 1994, Keep America Beautiful formally expanded its mission while continuing its work in litter prevention. Programs increasingly focused on community improvement, recycling education, waste reduction, beautification, and volunteer engagement.
1999
Keep America Beautiful and the U.S. Conference of Mayors host the Urban Litter Partnership National Summit.
1999
The Great American Cleanup launches and becomes the nation’s largest community improvement program.
2000–2010
2002
Research on cigarette litter leads to the launch of the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program.
2009
The landmark National Litter Study updates KAB's national litter baseline, building on research it began in 1969.
2010
Keep America Beautiful becomes the national steward of America Recycles Day and assumes leadership of RecycleMania.
2011–2020
2013
The Ad Council and Keep America Beautiful launch the “I Want to Be Recycled” national campaign.
2020
Keep America Beautiful publishes the largest ever national study on litter in America.
2021–Present
2021
RETREET®, a nonprofit focused on post-disaster tree replanting, merges with Keep America Beautiful.
2022
Keep America Beautiful and Anheuser-Busch launch the Recycling Hawkers program in baseball stadiums.
2023
KAB retires the 1971 PSA and transfers it to the National Congress of American Indians.
2024
Keep America Beautiful launches the Greatest American Cleanup for America’s 250th Birthday.
2025
Keep America Beautiful rings the Nasdaq Opening Bell.
2025
Keep America Beautiful launches Youth Action Central to support youth environmental leadership.
2026
The Keep America Beautiful network reaches a record 731 affiliates across the United States.
2026
The National Litter Study finds litter down 34% since 2020 — proof that sustained action works.
Bringing Litter into the National Conversation
In our early years, we helped bring national attention to the problem of litter through public education campaigns and some of the most widely recognized public service announcements in American history. These campaigns helped place litter prevention into the national conversation and encouraged individuals to take responsibility for caring for shared spaces. Over time, our research helped to increase public understanding about why litter happens and what can be done to prevent it.
Since 1969, Keep America Beautiful has been the trusted source for scientifically rigorous, fact-based, non-partisan reporting on litter in America.
1 of 8
How Keep America Beautiful Has Evolved
What began as a conversation about roadside litter has grown into a nationwide movement powered by millions of volunteers. Today, we support initiatives that address a wide range of environmental and community challenges, including:
- litter prevention
- recycling and waste reduction
- beautification and greening
- environmental education
- community improvement and revitalization
Through research, education, and local partnerships, we help communities build lasting solutions that improve public spaces and strengthen civic pride.
Across our affiliate network, local leaders and volunteers organize cleanup events, plant trees, expand recycling opportunities, and work to improve the places where people live, work, and gather.
These efforts demonstrate a simple but powerful idea: when people come together to care for their communities, meaningful change is possible.
Looking Ahead
From July 2024 to July 4, 2026, communities across the country took part in the Greatest American Cleanup™ for America’s 250th. Together they cleaned, planted and restored public spaces for the nation’s birthday.
By bringing together volunteers, local governments, civic organizations, and businesses, we are working to ensure that communities across the United States remain clean, green, and beautiful for generations to come.
What we mean by beauty
At Keep America Beautiful®, we believe that beauty is about more than clean streets or green parks—it’s about people working together to care for the places we share.
Across the country, we bring neighbors, volunteers, and communities together to strengthen local pride and improve the places where people live.
When people work side by side to care for their communities, they build connections that make neighborhoods stronger, healthier, and more resilient.
Join us. Find a local affiliate, volunteer in your community, or learn how you can help keep America beautiful.
Let’s do beautiful things
Volunteer with a local affiliate, give, or start something in your own neighborhood.
Looking for a career that makes a difference?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Keep America Beautiful?
Keep America Beautiful is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1953 that works with local affiliates, volunteers, public agencies, and corporate partners to reduce litter, increase recycling, and improve communities.
Q: When was Keep America Beautiful founded?
Keep America Beautiful was founded in 1953 following a meeting of organizations concerned about litter along America’s highways. The organizing meeting took place October 15, 1953 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.
Q: Who founded Keep America Beautiful?
The organization emerged from a cross-sector coalition including civic organizations, conservation groups, government agencies, and industry representatives. Founding members included:
The following organizations were part of the founding of Keep America Beautiful:
Conservation, Community and Youth Organizations
- Boy Scouts of America
- Izaak Walton League of America
- National Clean-Up—Paint-Up—Fix-Up Bureau
- National Council of State Garden Clubs
- National Parks Association
- Sport Fishing Association
Corporations and Industry Groups
- American Can Company
- American Petroleum Institute
- California State Chamber of Commerce
- Can Manufacturers Institute
- Carr-Lowrey Glass Company
- Continental Can Company
- Fibre Box Association
- Glass Container Manufacturing Institute
- National Association of Chewing Gum Manufacturers
- National Beer Wholesalers Association
- National Can Corporation
- Owens-Illinois Glass Company
- Paper Cup and Container Institute
- U.S. Brewers Foundation
Government Agencies
- Connecticut State Highway Department
- New York State Department of Public Works
Transportation Organizations
- American Automobile Association
- Automobile Manufacturers Association
Q: Was Keep America Beautiful created by corporations?
The organization emerged from collaboration among multiple sectors including civic organizations, conservation groups, government agencies, and companies concerned about roadside litter.