Provo residents celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up downtown
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- Provo City Councilwoman Rachel Whipple and Charlie Jensen clean up a Center Street kiosk display Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Provo.
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- A duo of Marriott Hotel workers scrubs old stickers off a utility box Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in downtown Provo.
There is an “overabundance” of illegal stickers, posters and graffiti scattered around downtown Provo, said Quinn Peterson, the executive director of Downtown Provo Inc.
Armed with gloves and scrubbers, several volunteers converged onto Center Street for Earth Day on Tuesday morning to combat the issue, erasing faded stickers from street posts and ripping out old staples stuck on itinerary boards.
“We do actually have dedicated spaces on our public kiosks that allow for posters and other sorts of announcements,” Peterson said. “The problem is we end up getting people that stick their posters on trees and light poles and anything they can, and it just really creates a trashy environment that we’re trying to eliminate.”
Tuesday marked the second consecutive Earth Day that Downtown Provo Inc. has launched a cleanup effort, and this year’s campaign came with plenty of helpers.
Local businesses like the Marriott Hotel provided manpower and supplies, while Java Junkies donated drinks and Thread Wallets dished out wallets. In total, roughly 50-60 people aided the cause.
Peterson said making an effort to keep downtown clean is critical, alluding to the “Broken Window Theory,” an idea that if people see trash in an area, they will feel like it’s OK to treat the area like trash.
“We want to help keep the area clean so it doesn’t encourage more trash or vandalism or abuse,” he said.
