Pick Up Litter

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead

In addition to making places look ugly, litter presents a threat to wildlife and public health. Pitching in and cleaning up some trash is an easy way for anyone to help out. Read this useful article to find out how you can help.

Steps

  1. Stop litter where it starts. The reason there is so much trash around is because not enough people recognize that it's a problem. Start with yourself, and make sure you're not generating litter, intentionally or otherwise.
    • Be on the lookout for trash bins, and be willing to carry your trash for a little while.
    • Keep a bag or container for trash in your car, if you drive.
    • When on the road, make sure items in your vehicle are secure and nothing can blow out. Keep your truck bed clean and free of loose litter. Be especially aware of plastic sheeting and bags.
    • Close the lid to any outdoor trash can or dumpster you maintain. If necessary, secure them against animals or weather.
    • Check around for loose items when you bring your trash can in after collection.
    • If you own a business, keep your parking lot and the area around your dumpsters clean. Have trash containers available for customers. Keep them emptied so trash will not blow out of the containers.
    • Encourage local businesses in your area to keep their facilities clean, too. Whether or not they are concerned about the environment, most business owners and managers will recognize that litter detracts from their appearance and the impression they give to prospective customers.
  2. Reduce Waste. With a little care, it's possible to produce a whole lot less trash than most people do.
    • Buy food with less packaging, and eat less processed or manufactured food.
    • Buy in larger packages and avoid single-serving items.
    • Pack your own lunch in containers that can be reused.
    • Drink water and other beverages from your own reusable container. If you have a coffee habit, ask your coffee shop if they'll refill a reusable container instead of giving you disposable items.
    • Choose fresh fruits and vegetables over packaged snacks and desserts.
    • Carry reusable bags when you go shopping.
    • Dine in at restaurants; skip the takeout and fast food.
    • Refuse excess items. If you do order takeout, decline the bag, the heap of plastic forks, the stack of napkins, the straws, the condiment packets, and so on.
    • Don't buy what you don't need. Choose durable items to last a long time. Try renting or borrowing things you need only briefly or occasionally.
    • Resell, donate, or give away usable items you no longer need.
    • Clean with reusable supplies, too. Use a broom or vacuum cleaner rather than Swiffer. Use washable fabric rags or towels rather than paper towels.
    • Take yourself off junk mail lists.
    • Recycle all you can of what remains.
    • If you need to dispose of special items (hazardous wastes, large items, electronic waste, unused medications, etc.), find out how to do so properly where you live.
  3. Spread the word to friends and relatives about why littering is so bad.
    • Don't hand out flyers because those could become litter themselves.
    • Create awareness by writing letters to the editors of newspapers.
    • On social media, post updates on your anti-litter efforts and pass along articles you find. Recruit community members to help.
    • Talk "Trash" and emphasize how litter not only mars the beauty of the cities and countryside, but also pollutes and threatens wildlife.
    • Encourage citizens to work together and clean up the environment.
    • If you live near a river or coast, learn about plastic pollution in our oceans, and spread the word. A lot of the plastic in our oceans comes from coastal communities, and it's deadly to birds and marine wildlife. [1]
  4. Start cleaning up. This can be done solo, with friends or in an organized group. Once you get started, you will not want to quit. Getting started is the hardest part. Don't be embarrassed to do it alone; feel good about doing the environment a good turn.
    • Pick up litter while walking for exercise or transportation.
    • Clean up your bus or transit stop if you have a few minutes to wait.
    • Bring a plastic bag with you on trips, outings and walks.
    • You can pick up litter on the way to work or school if you don't drive. You may feel embarrassed if this is uncommon in your area. But you will eventually inspire others. You could occasionally take different routes for variety and to see if your actions have taken root with others.
    • Pick up three things. If you can't carry much or don't have time for a detailed cleanup of an area, just pick up three things. If you pick up three things each day, or each trip out, it can really add up. This is a good thing to suggest to get others involved, too.
  5. Get others involved. You can make a big difference by yourself, but you'll make a far bigger difference with more people.
    • Gather up a group of friends or neighbors for an informal litter pickup party. Have participants meet somewhere afterward for a meal or have all bring food for a potluck afterward at your home.
    • Recruit a group you belong to, or find out if there are groups already active in your area. An area cleanup is a worthwhile community service activity, and can be a good thing to do with a scout troop, service club, or neighborhood association.
    • Participate in a regional cleanup day. Organize one group and know that there are many others all out making a difference. In 2015, Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers picked up over 1 million pounds of garbage throughout California. [2].
    • A litter cleanup can also be a way to get like-minded neighbors together and thinking about opportunities for vacant or underutilized land. Could it be reclaimed as a park, community garden, or open space? Reclaiming or "activating" a space for a public use also discourages litter and blight.
    • Pick an area near a restroom if possible. Keep the area of the project small or the time frame within an hour. Otherwise people may become soured about how much time or work it took.
    • Have a contest to see who can pick up the the largest number of pieces or the most pounds of trash. Or the most unusual trash. The winner gets a free beverage, cloth bag, or other small prize. (See if a local merchant will donate a prize.)
    • Don't forget to take photos and thank the volunteers. You can also use the photos to bring attention to the problem and promote subsequent events.
  6. Ask for help from your local government or government agency. Many cities support litter cleanup volunteers. If yours doesn't yet, maybe your efforts and requests will convince them to help you and your group. Here are some of the things cities and counties can do to help:
    • Supply tools and equipment to litter cleanup volunteers. Some cities offer litter sticks, bags, gloves, buckets, safety vests, and other equipment to people who are willing to help clean up litter.
    • Offer pickup. Ask your city what they can do about larger amounts of trash you collect. The occasional empty cup is easy to deal with, but if your team collects a dozen large bags of trash, you will have difficulty carrying them and disposing of them yourself.
    • Recognize volunteers who clean up litter. You might get your group's name on a sign for an area you've adopted, or you might get invited to shake hands with the mayor at a city council meeting or other event. Either way, it's good publicity for your group, and it will help to remind everyone that litter is a problem. Official recognition is also a great way to put an end to the negative attitudes that may trouble litter cleanup volunteers.
    • Install public trash cans in public spaces and maintain them. It's easiest to avoid littering and to clean up occasional litter when there is a trash can close by. It should cost less to empty trash cans than to pick up loose trash from the roadside.
    • Encourage businesses to clean and maintain their properties.
    • Sweep the streets, improve the street sweeping schedule, or restrict parking on street sweeping days.
    • Direct workers to help maintain "hot spots," or certain busy places where litter accumulates too quickly for volunteers to keep up.
    • Organize, publicize, and support community cleanup days through official or public channels.
    • Respond to illegal dumping or litter problems beyond the ability or reach of volunteers. If you find a freeway in need of cleanup or an entire sofa that's been dumped down the ravine into the creek, call it in and ask for assistance.
    • Respond to other maintenance problems you may notice while cleaning up litter, such as graffiti, a leaking fire hydrant, or an abandoned vehicle. Some regions now have apps to allow citizens to report maintenance requests using the GPS and camera on their phones.
    • Review local trash collection policies and practices to ensure that they do not inadvertently encourage illegal dumping. Is trash getting collected as frequently as it should be? Do residents know when collection day is? Is it costly or difficult to dispose of a large item or excess quantity of trash correctly? If so, are residents or businesses dumping their trash, instead?
    • Put vacant lots to use as parks or community gardens, or encourage landowners to improve them. Maintain existing parks, schoolyards, and other public spaces and facilities.
    • Consider an ordinance to reduce single-use plastic shopping bags. Many cities in California passed local bag ordinances, starting with San Francisco in 2007. The state legislature subsequently passed a state law. [3] Plastic bags are a particularly difficult kind of litter because they can fly away even when disposed of correctly. Once in water, they tend to break down into smaller and smaller pieces, without decomposing, which results in micro-plastic pollution. They are also difficult to recycle and produced and distributed in very high volumes. [4]
    • Install trash capture devices in storm drains and creeks to reduce the amount of trash flowing into waterways and oceans.

Tips

  • Pick up litter before the grass is mowed. It's much easier to pick up an item in one piece and it makes the roadside look so pretty after it is mowed. It's also easier on the mower and safer for the operator.
  • When possible, pick up litter before it rains. Rain and wind can move litter around and wash it down storm drains. Plus, dry litter is lighter, less messy, and easier to collect than wet litter.
  • Don't get discouraged on the first cleanup of an area. It's much easier to keep an area clean by picking up the litter often. Clean areas also tend to attract less litter than areas where there is already a lot of litter.
  • Get an early start during warmer weather. Even when the temperature is moderate, the sun bearing down on you in the middle of the day can be hot.
  • Unless you have become friendly with the owners of private properties, only pick up what is on sidewalks of houses. Even if the owners or tenants are messy, it is private property.
  • Cigarette butts are litter. They don't decompose. Picking up cigarette butts may help make smoking look less popular. Also, smokers may notice. (Take Action to Phase out Smoking in Society)
  • Don't listen to what anybody says that is meant to offend you. If people make a big deal of your litter cleanup, ask them to help. They'll soon have a whole new awareness of the problem.
    • If you think people are looking down on you for cleaning up litter, try wearing a shirt or vest that says VOLUNTEER. At least nobody will wonder if you got ordered to do community service, and it might encourage others to thank you and even help out.
    • Take pride in the fact that you are making a real difference.
  • Wear gloves when you clean up litter, or use a litter stick. If you have neither, use your judgment. It's no big deal to pick up an empty plastic bottle with your bare hands, but steer clear of anything that could be sharp or otherwise hazardous.
  • Wash your hands when you're through, or carry hand sanitizer.
  • If you find abandoned shopping carts, you can walk them back to the store parking lot yourself, or look on the handle or the flap that serves as a child seat, find the phone number, and call for pickup.

Warnings

  • Handle hypodermic needles, can lids and other sharp objects safely.
  • Come prepared for a day outdoors. Dress for the weather. Keep warm in winter and stay safe in the sun in summer. Wear sturdy, comfortable shoes or boots, especially if you are working on hills or unpaved surfaces.
  • Carry and drink water to prevent dehydration.
  • Work safely. Stand on the sidewalk, not the street, to collect litter in the gutter. If you can't collect litter safely (such as if it is in a busy street), don't. Pay attention when crossing the street on foot.
  • Be careful of local wildlife, including fire ants, mosquitoes, and stray dogs.

Things You'll Need

  • All of the following items may not be needed depending on your situation:
  • Trashbag(s) or smaller plastic bags combined in sets of twos or threes. Fold trash bags to carry in pockets.
  • Water or warm beverages -- to prevent dehydration especially in warmer weather or to keep warm.
  • Hand sanitizer or paper towels and water to clean your hands.
  • Sunscreen
  • Mosquito Repellent
  • Small first aid kit. Cuts happen.
  • Heat packs -- to keep warm. The down side is some cannot be reused but the ingredients are generally earth friendly.
  • Sunglasses
  • Gloves -- gardening or other heavy gloves to prevent infection from possible cuts or skin punctures.
  • Good sturdy shoes or boots with tread to keep you from slipping.
  • Safety vest or bright shirt to be visible.
  • Hat or sun visor
  • Pocket knife or utility knife for cutting balloons, strings, or tape on sign posts and bottle opener for opening full bottles.
  • Layers of clothing -- removable layers are warm and easy to adjust as the weather changes.
  • Cell phones to talk to teammates if you split up, need more supplies, or have an emergency. Also to report other maintenance problems you may encounter.
  • Reach extenders or litter sticks for picking up litter. Saves your back and well worth the price.
  • Camera for before/after pictures.
  • A simple way to hold your bag open while working: Find a stick that’s about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} long and {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} round. Place stick on the outside of bag, a few inches from the top. Fold the bag over the stick a few times. Hold the bag by the stick.
  • Make a bag holder to pick up litter. See instructions at: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39893248.tip.html
  • A {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} bucket works well for picking up litter if it's not windy.
  • A large wooden embroidery or quilting ring can be used to hold bags open. Place the bag through the inner loop and fold over the sides about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Put the outer ring over it and tighten clamps. Rest bag on your hip.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/marinedebris.html
  2. ↑ https://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/stats/2015.html
  3. ↑ http://time.com/3449887/california-plastic-bag-ban/
  4. ↑ http://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/PlasticBags/Articles/Googobits_07-21-05.pdf
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