About the ChallengeThe North Texas Community Cleanup Challenge (NTCCC) is an annual regionwide litter cleanup competition among North Texas communities to see who can pick up the most litter per resident. Communities, churches, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, companies, activists, and everyday residents can organize cleanup events or log existing events and efforts as they occur.
This year’s challenge is especially meaningful as we have partnered with the North Texas FWC organizing committee to help ensure North Texas looks its best during the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and beyond. The winning community will earn bragging rights, take home the North Texas Community Cleanup Award, and receive special recognition at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Fan Festival™ Dallas.
Tossing a plastic cup, bottle, straw, or ciggarette butt out your car window or onto a parking lot means it will blow in the wind or get carried away the next time it rains. Rain water runs across the surfaces and picks up litter along the way. Litter ends up going down the storm drains or getting stuck, piling up and blocking the flow of water.
In North Texas, nearly all of our storm drains go directly to a creek or stream unfiltered. These streams combine into the Trinity River or eventually lead to one of our local lakes. These lakes are our supply of drinking water.
Yes, litter from the DFW area can, has, and will make its way all the way down the Trinity River and eventually to the Gulf of Mexico. Want to learn more? Check out our DFW to the Gulf page.
Clean streets, rivers, lakes, and public spaces are vital to the health of the people and animals that call North Texas home. Everyone can't do everything, but if everyone did something, then we can make a great impact. Here are a few simple things we can do to help prevent litter and keep our communities and waterways clean and healthy.
