NO LITTER LEAGUE IN BARBERTON TODAY!!!

 

I've been volunteering once a month to help pick up trash in Barberton, but it was cancelled for today.   I can handle the frigid temperature, but there's no way to pick up trash if you can't see it.

I walked up my street and around the corner.  It looks so clean when the snow is covering the trash, but I don't think there's any trash around my block anyway.  I pick it up every day when I walk my dogs.  It's super easy!  I take one bag for poop, one bag for trash!

My friend, Tom, called me yesterday.  He asked me how we're going to get more people involved.  Together, we pick up a lot of trash in Akron, but we need more people to get involved somehow.

I took Henry & Stella outside to play in the snow.  They love it!

So I've been spending time reading about the litter problem.  What is the answer?  Why do people litter?  And how do I get more people involved?

People throw trash on the ground, because it's easy, and there are no immediate repercussions.  Nobody gets a fine for littering anymore.

But people do tend to litter less if an area is clean.  So what I'm doing really is making a difference.

Stella likes to jump on Henry.  He doesn't mind.  Sometimes she knocks him down, and his tail is wagging like crazy.

I have picked up 833,471 pieces of trash so far.  I still think I will reach my one-million-piece goal in the spring.  It's staying light longer now, and soon, the snow will be gone, and I'll be able to see all the trash that people are throwing out their car windows right now.

I have picked up 22 knives, 1 gun, 680 nails and swept  up 1,264 piles of broken glass in the 475 days I've gone out to pick up trash since February 6, 2023, when Henry cut his nose on a piece of broken glass.

That's actually pretty incredible!  Look how much one woman who works full time can do!

So what is the answer?  I would like to get more involved with Keep America Beautiful.  I would like to find more people who are passionate about keeping our neighborhood clean.

But did you know that EVERYBODY IS PASSIONATE about keeping their neighborhood clean?  Everybody wants to help.  They just don't know what to do.

If you pick up all the trash on your street, a week later, there's more trash.  So what's the point?

If we had more trash cans, the City of Akron doesn't have enough employees to empty them all.  So what's the point?

If we organize a neighborhood cleanup once a year, it makes a huge difference . . . that week.  What about the next week?

Look at my trash cart and my recycle bin, all covered up with snow!  I'm sure they're both frozen in place right now.

But very soon, I'll be back out picking up trash.

Picking up trash is a great way to exercise.  I'm out walking for hours, and it's fun!  (Exercising at the gym for 20 minutes was not fun at all.)

Litter is not only unsightly, but it's a breeding ground for disease-carrying insects and rodents.  

So how do I get more people involved?  Keep doing what I'm doing, and lead by example.  People see me picking up trash with a smile on my face, and they are inspired to pick up litter too.

Just 10 pieces a day would make a huge difference.  Picking up trash in a parking lot, instead of walking by, really would make a huge difference.  You think it's not your responsibility?  You're right.  It's not, but your kids are watching.  

Do what I'm doing.  Set a goal for yourself to keep it fun and challenging.  Can you keep your street clean all summer?  It takes a million years for a glass bottle to decompose.  If you see a glass bottle by the sidewalk, pick it up before it gets smashed into a hundred pieces.  Organize a little clean up with your friends.  Pick up trash when you're on vacation with your family.

Get excited about preserving the natural beauty of our planet, and feel really good about yourself at the same time!