The town of Little Elm has experienced significant growth, with its population reaching around 57,000 residents in 2023. A "Town with the Lake Attitude," Little Elm is home to North Texas' largest beach, stretching 66 miles along Lake Lewisville, offering residents and visitors opportunities to enjoy water sports, sand volleyball, and some of the most stunning sunsets in the area.
Beyond its recreational appeal, Little Elm is making notable progress in environmental stewardship, driven by the efforts of Keep Little Elm Beautiful (KLEB), a nonprofit organization of local citizens dedicated to preserving the town’s natural beauty and promoting sustainability.
KLEB is proud to be affiliated with Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB), an organization with a deep-rooted history in Texas. Founded in 1967 in San Antonio, KTB was established in preparation for the 1968 World’s Fair, which was set to attract over 16 million visitors.
Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) has a mission to inspire and empower Texans to create cleaner, more beautiful communities. KTB’s affiliates, impacting the lives of 19 million Texans daily, are at the forefront of environmental initiatives across the state. Over the past 50 years, KTB, along with its 250 local affiliates and community partners, has been dedicated to making Texas a better place to live, work, and play.
Each year, only nine KTB affiliates receive the prestigious Governor’s Community Achievement Award (GCAA), awarded based on population size and excellence in seven environmental categories: Community Leadership and Coordination, Public Awareness and Outreach, Environmental Education and Youth Engagement, Beautification and Community Improvement, Litter Prevention and Cleanup, Solid Waste Management, and Litter Law and Illegal Dumping Enforcement. This recognition comes with a monetary award, supporting further environmental efforts in the winning communities.
“As part of our '3C’s' strategy—Connect, Collaborate, Commit—KLEB focuses on building strong partnerships, fostering community involvement, and enhancing environmental stewardship. By working together, we are creating a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful Little Elm," said Neeraj Madan, Chair of KLEB.
KLEB has partnered with a variety of community and environmental organizations to create a positive impact in Little Elm, including Community Waste Disposal (CWD), the town’s solid waste contractor. Together, these collaborations aim to foster sustainability and environmental stewardship throughout the community.
In terms of volunteer hours, KLEB contributed a total of 1,871 hours, which translates into a monetary value of $59,488. This substantial contribution underscores the dedication and commitment of KLEB’s volunteers to the community.
Adopt-A-Street program also made a significant environmental impact, with 1,333 pounds of trash collected and 69,917 linear feet of road cleaned. These efforts play a vital role in keeping Little Elm clean and safe for both residents and visitors.
KLEB played a key role in supporting several Clean & Green events, which focused on the responsible disposal of hazardous household waste. These events produced remarkable results, including the collection of 6,600 pounds of paper, 1,400 pounds of hazardous waste, 15,750 pounds of e-waste, 14,102 pounds of passenger tires, and 9,912 pounds of truck tires. In addition, 48 refrigerant appliances were safely evacuated, and 209 pounds of medications were collected through the pharmaceutical take-back program, preventing harmful substances from entering and polluting the environment.
In addition to these efforts, KLEB distributed 400 seedlings and provided environmental education to residents at various community events. The St. Arbor Community Garden also contributed by donating over 3,000 pounds of fresh vegetables to the local food bank, with volunteers contributing an impressive 1,452 "green" hours to these initiatives.
KLEB, CWD, and the Town of Little Elm staff joined forces to form a "Green" team, providing recycling options at various community events. Through this initiative, they educated approximately 65,000 to 70,000 attendees over the past year on the importance of recycling in an engaging and approachable manner.
In June 2024, when they hosted Denton County's largest "Green" Craft Brew and Barbecue event. After a year of dedicated planning, the Town of Little Elm brought together more than 40 craft breweries from across the U.S. and some of Texas' top barbecue restaurants, drawing around 16,000 attendees.
The event showcased the power of collaboration, with Little Elm ISD students volunteering to help divert recyclables from the waste stream, further reinforcing the community's commitment to sustainability.
Mayor Curtis Cornelious emphasizes the importance of KLEB’s efforts, stating, “A clean community means healthier, happier residents, and keeping Little Elm clean and green today ensures a better tomorrow for everyone.”
In 2024, KLEB was honored with two prestigious environmental awards: the Governor’s Community Achievement Award from Keep Texas Beautiful, which includes a $250,000 landscaping grant from the Texas Department of Transportation, and the Texas Environmental Leadership Award from the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR).
"KLEB focuses on building strong partnerships, fostering community involvement, and enhancing environmental stewardship."
“A clean community means healthier, happier residents, and keeping Little Elm clean and green today ensures a better tomorrow for everyone.”