Between Green Up Days, Pick up Vermont 365.

 Did we miss any littered trash on Green Up Day ? Take the ‘One bag challenge’- pick up at least one bag (any size bag) of litter and share it on Facebook.

Between Green Up Days, litter still flies off trucks, grocery carts, and uncovered recycling bins. Shoppers, having few places to deposit their empty coffee cup, water bottle, sticky food, candy, or ice cream wrapper, shamelessly or reluctantly, drop their trash onto our beloved outdoor cityscape.

What if every Local business, as a public amenity, placed garbage cans, recycling containers, and cigarette butt bins in front the establishments and serviced them as frequently as they fill. This would reduce the energy required in cleaning up around the business and will engage your customers.

Utilize the skills of local artists to define and highlight the regional accent of your business through trashcan artwork. Reference trashcan photos http://www.weirdomatic.com/feed-me-garbage.html  .

How do your customers want to feel when they walk through your parking lot and entranceway? Create a store policy that encourages outdoor store frontage cleanup as frequently and diligently as indoor store cleanups. Perception begins outside – blemished fruit skins lower anticipation for what is inside.

Combine solar compaction units,

                                                               BTV Waterfront Park
 and a talking trash can, or simply an artist enhanced trash repository to help change how people feel in the presence of your store. This short video http://bit.ly/Ri6WI3  demonstrates the easiest way to change people's behavior for the better is by making it fun to do.

Ask why store flyers, fast food wrappers and cups end up blowing in the wind. What inducement or physical accompaniment will affect behavior and reduce opportunity for escaped trash? Offer handheld electronic in-store flyers. Recycling bins at exits. Post store flyers only at the entrance of each aisle. Develop your store’s creative litter prevention solutions.

Highlight on social media how your business tackles litter between Green Up days.  Give your customers a story about your employee’s litter clean up diligence that customers will want to tell and share. 

All residents, everyone, tackle litter through Facebook; Join the ‘One bag challenge’-pick up at least one bag of litter and share it on Facebook. Tell us your funniest find, the smelliest litter you ever picked up, the strangest, most ironic (like lilac fresh air in a can) - share your cleanup delight. Tell us about your treasure trash-no need to share the treasure ($20 bill, silver medallion, perfectly fine Red Sox baseball hat, 3-Iron, 3-D glasses, Sponge Bob ball).

Whether litter picking for a challenge, to make our community look nicer, to prevent health issues or your just plain curious what strange and mysterious items you might find- tell us your story.

Whether you find meaning in discovering a lost paycheck, wallet, ring, nearly full can of Red Bull or de-littering thus releasing a patch of wildflowers -share your litter picking experiences and why you care, on Facebook. We want to hear from you.

For year round fun, become an Adopt-A-Block member @ http://bit.ly/1hxNQ6G. 

 Concern about litter scans the globe and the calendar. Express the meaning of your one bag challenge, with your friends and family through social media.

Related information: 

Vermont Retail and Grocers Association web site: http://www.vtgrocers.org/

Litter Picking is an All Season Sport.