Clean California announced that the Town of Truckee has officially earned the designation of “Clean California Community” through Caltrans’ Clean CA initiative. Truckee is among the first 30 communities statewide to receive this recognition.
This designation highlights Truckee’s leadership in reducing litter, enhancing public spaces, and fostering community pride. Truckee is proud to lead in California’s Zero Litter movement to reduce litter and keep all parts of the state as clean, healthy and beautiful as possible.
To achieve the designation, the Town of Truckee met more than 10 of 15 Clean California criteria, which included hosting community cleanups such as Truckee Litter Corps and Truckee Day, expanding anti-litter education and signage, installing and maintaining trash and recycling infrastructure, and advancing beautification projects like public art and landscaping.
The Town extends gratitude to community members and businesses who have supported these efforts. At this year’s 22nd annual Truckee Day, more than 720 volunteers collected over 2.3 tons of litter. Volunteer cleanups continue through Truckee Litter Corps (TLC), which hosts monthly events in partnership with local organizations and businesses. A TLC event was held Saturday, September 20, as part of the Great Sierra River Cleanup and Latino Conservation Week. The next cleanup event is scheduled for Thursday, October 30. For details, visit the Keep Truckee Green event webpage.
The Town’s bold actions to reduce single-use foodware and plastic water bottles through recent ordinances play a key role in avoiding the negative impacts from disposable items that are commonly found as litter. To further reduce waste from single-use foodware, Truckee has implemented unique programs including the reusable green box food container program and coffee cup exchange partnership with Okapi Reusables.
The Town’s partnership with Clean Tahoe has enhanced cleanup efforts with weekly litter sweeps in hot spot areas across town. The Town’s Facilities Division also plays a large role in beautification efforts through regularly maintaining public landscaping and servicing trash cans along trails.
“This designation is a reflection of our community’s dedication to protecting the natural beauty of Truckee,” said Vice Mayor Anna Klovstad. “From volunteers to local businesses, it’s clear that Truckee cares deeply about preserving our environment for generations to come.”
The Clean California Community Designation Program is part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s $1.2 billion Clean California initiative, launched in 2021 by Caltrans to clean up, reclaim, and beautify public spaces across the state. Developed in partnership with Caltrans, Keep America Beautiful, and Keep California Beautiful, the program recognizes communities that demonstrate exceptional commitment to litter reduction and public beautification.
As part of the recognition, Truckee will receive a Clean California Community plaque, educational resources, automatic membership in Keep California Beautiful, and statewide promotion through Clean California materials.
The Town of Truckee encourages other California communities to join the program and commit to transforming shared spaces. To learn more and take the pledge, visit the Clean California Community Designation webpage.
For more information on the Town of Truckee’s litter mitigation and sustainability programs, visit the Keep Truckee Green Litter Mitigation webpage.