Laboratory employees load up community litter

More than 100 employees pick up trash around Northern New Mexico on Earth Day

May 20, 2025

Placeholder Image — Outside the Lab’s building in downtown Santa Fe, members of the Lab’s Public Affairs group picked up trash below the bridge on Guadalupe and West Alameda, making a significant dent in garbage that had accumulated on the banks of the Santa Fe River.

More than 100 Los Alamos National Laboratory employees cleaned up litter in the surrounding communities — including two locations in Santa Fe and one in White Rock — to celebrate Earth Day this year.

The event was part of the Lab’s annual Great Garbage Grab, during which employees removed plastic bottles, food containers and other trash from the area, alleviating problems it could pose for wildlife, waterways and the ecosystem.

Employees filled 138 trash bags, with cleanups taking place outside the Lab’s Pacheco and Guadalupe office buildings in Santa Fe, near its facility in White Rock, and around other areas at the Laboratory.

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Growing the Garbage Grab

Now, event organizer Paige Clark is working to encourage similar events — not just on Earth Day, but throughout the year — whenever a group of Lab volunteers has the time.

2025-05-20 — Staff from the Lab’s Environmental Protection and Compliance group picked up trash around White Rock, where they also do significant environmental monitoring.

“When I started the Garbage Grab, I saw what a big impact a small group of people can have,” Clark said. “It was great seeing people from different divisions within the Laboratory come together and have such a positive impact on the environment.”