CLEVELAND — The Ohio Department of Transportation said it has removed over 340,000 bags of litter from ODOT roadways this year. Littering is not just an issue on the roads, but also in public spaces throughout the state.

Anthony and Ava Miceli of Avon are doing their part to try to keep their community clean. 

It started with determination, gloves and a few trash bags.

Anthony Miceli spends a lot of his free time in parks around northeast Ohio. That’s when he noticed a problem. 

“Just walking around and seeing trash,” Anthony Miceli said. “Piece after piece in all of these areas. It’s so overlooked.”

Anthony and his twin sister Ava decided they wanted to be part of the solution.

They started an organization called Twins for a Better Cleveland that’s aiming to beautify northeast Ohio’s parks by cleaning up litter.

“I want to become a nurse when I get older, so I would try and find ways I can help the community now,” Ava Miceli said. “I’m like, ‘Wow, I can clean up the environment, which will improve the quality of people’s lives and help our wildlife.’”

So far, the twins have cleaned up over 100 pounds of trash at 32 parks.

“I think starting this at a younger age and not waiting until I’m older or ignoring it for my own benefit,” said Anthony Miceli. “I think that’s what can really make change in Cleveland, especially in areas that are overlooked.”

Ava Miceli hopes she and her brother can inspire others to keep their own communities clean.

“I feel like it always starts with one person,” she said. “Doing this in our parks and around our community will make people say, ‘Hey maybe next time instead of walking past trash, I can pick it up and throw it away.’”

While keeping Cleveland and its parks beautiful and helping the environment is special in its own right, the Micelis said doing it with each other makes it much more meaningful. 

“To have this free time to spend together to make a meaningful difference, it’s just really important,” Anthony Miceli said. “We’re able to see these beautiful parks and see things we’ve never seen before.”

“These are memories we will be able to hold onto for the rest of our lives,” said Ava Miceli. “I feel like our bond was already strong at the beginning, but now making an impact is making our bond even stronger.”