History Keep Nebraska Beautiful, a 501 c 3 organization, was started in 1964 by Governor Frank Morrison. In 1980 Keep Nebraska Beautiful became a statewide affiliate of Keep America Beautiful (KAB) which is a national, non-profit public education organization. There are 21 local KAB affiliate communities in Nebraska. Keep America Beautiful affiliates are educational and community-improvement programs that address local needs including litter awareness and litter cleanups; beautification; reuse and recycling programs and neighborhood revitalization.
Funding Keep Nebraska Beautiful's funding comes from grants, memberships, and fundraisers including an annual Charity Golf Tournament. We particularly appreciate the grant support of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality as well as our many loyal members.
Major Programs Nebraska Materials Exchange Program - Keep Nebraska Beautiful (KNB) began the Materials Exchange Program to help facilitate the exchange of materials from a business who no longer needed the material to a school, nonprofit organization, or another business who could put the material to good use.
Nebraska School Chemical Cleanout Campaign - The newest statewide Keep Nebraska Beautiful Program being developed is an endeavor to make all Nebraska schools safer. It is an effort to rid schools of all unneeded, outdated and potentially dangerous chemicals. Numerous partners are engaging in the effort. We were recently awarded a 2-year grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the development of the program.
Nebraska Used Oil Collection Program - Keep Nebraska Beautiful along with numerous other partners have developed a program being implemented on the city and county level to facilitate the collection of used oil. There are now 67 cities and counties participating in the program. A listing of the collection sites can be found under the Used Oil Program heading.
Nebraska Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program - Keep Nebraska Beautiful and numerous other partners continue the development of a statewide sustainable program for the collection of household hazardous waste. Permanent collection facilities are now located in Omaha, McCook, Kearney, North Platte and Holdrege. Collection facilities will be added in other communities as the program grows and expands.
Litter-Free School Zones - A program to encourage students and staff to keep their school grounds litter-free and to raise the public's awareness of litter via a Litter-Free School Zone sign placed along the school perimeter. Nearly 150 schools are participating.
The Great American Cleanup - Launched in 1999, Keep Nebraska Beautiful coordinates the local involvement of nearly 25,000 volunteers across the state each year. Keep America Beautiful partnered with several national sponsors to provide trash bags, banners, and related initiatives including litter cleanups, clothes collections, recycling drives, park enhancements, graffiti removal, beautification such as the planting of "Grow Big Red" flower gardens and other community-improvement projects.
Meth Lab Litter Awareness and Volunteer Safety Program - Keep Nebraska Beautiful, in partnership with the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, the Nebraska Highway Patrol, former Congressman Tom Osborne's office, and the Nebraska Department of Roads, created a video/DVD and a brochure to help make cleanup volunteers more aware of the potential danger of meth lab litter and how to respond should they find some during their cleanup efforts.
Grow Big Red - A statewide beautification effort that encourages everyone to plant red flowers. It is a fun and unique beautification celebration that allows the citizens of our state to become more united in building community pride as we enhance Nebraska's outstanding natural beauty.
Keep Nebraska Beautiful Environmental Awards Program - The annual awards program recognizes youth, schools, civic and nonprofit organizations, businesses, KAB local affiliates and Nebraska communities for their outstanding environmental efforts.
Teacher Workshops and Kids' Eco Fairs - Education is the key driver of successful community programs as well as our state program and we start in the classrooms utilizing curriculum from Keep America Beautiful. We provide teacher workshops as well as hands-on activities with students at several Kids' Eco Fairs and Festivals across the state.
Public Awareness Through Integrated Communications - KNB maintains this website, publishes two quarterly newsletters (Waste Paper and The Link), provides public service announcements for radio and newspaper, and provides free information to Nebraska citizens on all aspects of litter prevention, solid waste prevention and community improvement.
Urban Litter Partnership - Strong evidence is emerging that litter, together with other forms of preventable environmental blight, like graffiti and illegal dumps, can seriously erode a city's efforts to address more complex challenges like crime and economic development. Keep America Beautiful and the U.S. Conference of Mayors launched this joint program.
Keep Nebraska Beautiful Wins National Awards Keep Nebraska Beautiful received a Gold Award in the State Affiliate Category for 2007. The award is the highest given to a state Keep America Beautiful affiliate program.
Grow Big Red Show your Husker spirit by planting red flowers this spring.
The Great American Cleanup Over two million volunteers across the U.S. took part in the nation's largest organized litter cleanup program this Spring. Click here to find out how you can help in your community.
