SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — As the warm weather melted away the snow, debris from the winter has surfaced along streets and sidewalks.

This is also the time of year when people start to do spring cleaning.

Projects NICE and KEEP in Sioux Falls are helping with the cleanup.

Kelly Clausen is getting rid of a blown Harley tire. He says project KEEP is way better than a free pass to the landfill.

“Even though they give a free pass out, you can only get rid of four tires. Well I had a pile of five motorcycle tires and two car tires so it worked out really well for me,” Clausen said.

Clausen is a big fan of Sioux Falls’ spring cleanup projects because you can get rid of almost anything.

“It’s nice to see that the city takes all the lawn debris, the tree branches, the landscape stones. It just makes it so much easier for people to get rid of a mattress that the garbage man can’t take,” Clausen said.

Or a heavy old toilet.

“We take appliances, we take tires, trees, mattresses and then rubble. No household garbage but just about anything else other than that,” Sioux Falls street maintenance supervisor Charlie Putzier said.

Putzier say homeowners are always happy to see his crew roll in.

“Nothing but positive. They’re glad we’re here. They get rid of all of their stuff that’s unwanted and it costs them absolutely nothing,” said Putzier.

Did you ever wonder what happens to all of this junk?

“Terminator 3000,” said Putzier

Actually the city rents the “Terminator 6000” to grind everything down, turning eight truckloads of junk into one.

“It saves us a lot of travel because we used to just drive it all the way out to the landfill,” said Putzier.

But it’s not the debris being hauled away that matters. Clausen says it’s what’s being brought into his community that matters: a new sense of pride in people’s property.

“It’s been a few years since they’ve been through here, but it seems like every time they do come through here, the neighborhood gets a little cleaner and a little better so, I think it’s a win, win,” said Clausen.

It’s exactly what Project NICE and Project KEEP are hoping to accomplish.

You can still put junk out for removal if you live in a project area that has not yet been picked up.

The city hopes to finish by Wednesday or Thursday.