SOUTH OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – Volunteers got to work picking up beer bottles, plastic bags, and other trash thrown around a cul-de-sac near the park. They filled dozens of trash bags within an hour.
- Volunteers with the Blue Bucket Project recently filled dozens of trash bags to clean up Albright Park in South Omaha.
- Illegal dumping has resumed in the area after the city removed trail cameras that previously helped with the issue.
- Neighbors are hoping the city will reinstall the cameras to prevent trash from piling up again.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Neighbors in South Omaha are taking matters into their own hands as trash begins to pile up again at Albright Park, a known hotspot for illegal dumping.
Volunteers recently got to work picking up beer bottles, plastic bags, and other trash thrown around a cul-de-sac near the park. They filled dozens of trash bags within an hour and called the city to pick up larger items.
"We actually see quite a bit of illegal dumping," Cindy Tefft said.
Tefft, the founder of the Blue Bucket Project, said neighbors requested the group's help to clean up what was left behind around Albright Park.
KMTV has reported on this area before. In 2024, neighbors called us, after someone kept dumping trash at the park. After our stories aired, the city put up trail cameras, and the dumping slowed down.
Since then, the cameras have been taken down. While the dumping of large items like couches has stopped, the smaller trash has persisted. Tefft said the trash will only keep piling up unless something is done.
"I really feel really strongly that litter attracts litter, so if someone already sees litter they think oh one more bottle and no one will notice, so I think it’s important for that reason," Tefft said.
"We have some beautiful city parks, we need to be proud of them and keep them clean and it takes everybody to make your community beautiful," Charlotte Thiessen said.
"Everyone is so helpful and they just get right in and do it," Tefft said.
Nearby neighbors tell me they hope the city puts the cameras back in place to prevent the dumping from continuing in South Omaha.
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