Pikcing up the pieces: Why Pick it Up.

Picking up the pieces.

I don’t think I want to.
Have you ever felt like that? Moreover, what did you do next? Did you pick up the next piece or pieces? Did you kick the next can, blow past the next food wrapper, and disregard the tawdry display of carelessness enforced by pride-less apathy? Benjamin Franklin warned, “A little neglect may breed great mischief”.

Alternatively, maybe someone will see you pick up a store circular, a coffee cup, or a cigarette package from the ground and see you deposit the litter in a trash receptacle before you step into the store. Your action will tell them you care. You care about your space in this community.

The responsibility lies within all of us

to keep publicly owned

 as well as storefront

property

(our community)

free of litter.

How did you feel when you picked up that piece of trash and disposed of it properly? What did you do next when the person behind you, a complete stranger, commented, “Thank you for doing that”? Did you smile, walk lighter, and notice how the day seems brighter, healthier, in an aura of beneficence?

Familiarity breeds contempt. Are littering behaviors likely to diminish without people, public and private businesses displaying daily remedial, restorative cleanup actions? Instilling respect requires robust practices and policies, not platitudes. No trash receptacle nearby? Ask the store manager to consider placing one outside as not only a place to deposit trash, but also as a familiar visible reminder of where trash belongs.

Are you finding proprietors, and real estate owners’ in-effective or worse yet, less than diligent about maintaining a clean storefront? Ask them to maintain their exterior landscape the same way they maintain their store’s interior. Parking lot and green space deserve the same immediacy response (to litter) as a spill in aisle seven. Allow no more than temporary and brief soiled display on storefronts in order to avoid the familiarity that breeds disrespect and further degradation.

Community means shared ownership, shared responsibility, and shared results. 

The pieces are scattered all about our city. We need many eyes that see, hands that pick up, and voices to raise concern in defiance of apathy towards littered trash. Neglect of even a few pieces of litter promotes growth akin to invasive species that are free of predation. Few of us want to clean up litter. Most of us, I believe, feel uplifted when we do pick up litter that we come across during our daily routines. Less litter is impetus for would be trash droppers to can it. This is our domain, we live in it every day, see it first hand, play in it, work in it, commute in it, shop in it. Help pick up the pieces of litter in your daily path. You may not want to; however, you are likely to feel good because you did.

Litter Picking is an All Season Sport.

Bernie publishes short stories and photos reflecting Vermont values of Green and Clean and Community. He urges us all to pick up litter in order to protect our water, wildlife, and human health. 

Bernie resides in South Burlington, Vermont. 

Store Litter Coupon from South Burlington, Vermont

Copy, print, and redeem to prompt storeowners to pick up litter from their storefront to keep your community clean year-round. This coupon provides you an easy non-confrontational and polite method to alert the store merchant, owner, or manager of the (litter) blemish on their store and the community.

-------------------------------------------------------

Clean-Up (Litter) Coupon

                                         

                               

Citizen / Consumer: Present to the local retailer of your choice.

Retailer: There is littered trash on your storefront. I am confident you will take action to clean up this blight and restore your welcome mat to its finest image. 

The community and your patrons will thank you for cleaning up the litter on your store frontage including parking area, sidewalk, greenbelt, and roadside.

Please consider this clean-up request redeemable/actionable on a weekly or even daily basis. Help yOUR shopping district remain CLEAN and inviting 365 days a year.

Elect clean storefronts; it is a matter of community pride. Moreover, it is a matter of differentiation for your business.

For  Green & Clean Vermont stories and photos visit: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/

------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                                                                    Rev 2/20/2013

Printable cleanup coupon @ https://sites.google.com/site/litterwithastorytotell/clean-up-coupon


 CSR-Corporate Social Responsibility.
 People want companies to help solve social problems.

Litter is an issue of potential harm and of potential opportunity for businesses. Clean communities represent a Social Value. Collaboration between consumers (People who purchase goods) and the businesses who provide those goods or services can help eradicate litter-solve a social problem important to both parties.

The litter stories mission of education and advocacy includes collaborating with other organizations and citizens to pick up litter year-round for the benefit of people and wildlife. The goal is to keep clean of trash the natural wonders of our walkways, streets, bike paths, parks, and waterways, and therein maintain a high quality of life.

Litter picking is an all-season sport, which everyone can participate in to promote and protect the environment, well-being, beauty, and livability of our community, including that of our wildlife neighbors.

Bernie 
Love where you live 

Clean City: Why are we tolerant of (littered) trash?

Walk and see dirty, disgusting, degrading affronts to our city’s image.

Walk to work or walk around the block in your community neighborhood and challenge yourself to count the number of pieces of litter in a square block or even within one hundred feet. Look at the community’s highly shopped and respected storefronts and ask yourself why there is trash in front of some of these businesses.

Why are we tolerant of trash on our sidewalks, streets, parking lots, yards- our city?  Much of the litter on the streets ends up in our waterways. This non-phosphorus pollution is polluting our cherished waterways and overall landscape. Our discarded plastic is killing birds, marine and other wildlife.

Everyone can easily participate in this cause. Everyone can pick up a piece every day. Consider carrying an empty grocery bag with you on neighborhood walks. Notify business owners of the opportunity to improve their business facade by removing trash from the parking lot. Businesses can create litter patrols whereby their crews periodically remove litter along the street where the business is located.

We can grow an attitude of intolerance for litter just as we can grow pride and activism for attributes like Lake Champlain.

                                                                            

If enough people join in on a regular basis, well to quote Arlo Guthrie in Alice's Restaurant song, "And friends they may think it's a movement."

Everyone can make a direct impact on litter prevention and clean up.


How will you help? 

Voice your intolerance for litter to retailers / businesses by using the Clean Up Coupon available @
http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/11/clean-up-coupon.html

Why we still litter. Early humans threw their trash on the ground. But there's a psychology behind why we continue to—and how to make us stop. 

Clean streets make us feel safe, whereas places strewn with rubbish heighten expectations of violence and vandalism, researchers found.

Other essay postings:

Ø  If roads could talk: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/05/carry-it-with-you.html

Ø  Tell me why: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/07/tell-me-why.html

Ø  Green Economy-does it include you?: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/02/green-economy-does-it-include-you.html

Ø  Sleuthing-Detective work: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2010/07/sleuthing.html

Ø  Dog days of summer: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2010/08/dog-days-of-summer-our-dogs-are-great.html

Ø  Who is responsible for this mess? http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2010/09/who-is-responsible-for-this-mess.html

Ø  The Power in numbers: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2010/10/power-in-numbers.html

Ø  Mark Your Territory (dogs): http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2010/12/mark-your-territory.html

Ø  Let’s not disappoint them: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/10/lets-not-disappoint-them.html

Ø  What goes up must come down: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/10/look-up.html

Ø  The story of my blog: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/10/dont-just-be-change-make-change.html

Ø  Blog measureable outcomes: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-measurable-outcomes-desired.html

Ø  What’s your story?: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2013/01/whats-your-story.html

January 2010 New Years Salute and Greetings from Vermont

Raise your hands if you like Litter. No hands, that was easy! Let us take a pledge to refuse to look down on litter unless we are willing to help pick it up. South Burlington: Green and Clean, and Litter Free in 2010!

Clean City: Field guide to Litter, Vermont edition.

Litter Picking is an All Season Sport.

Field Guide to Litter 

Vermont Edition

Learn more about the litter found in our community in the Vermont edition of A Field Guide to Litter. Note to teachers: guide is appropriate for ages 4-99. Recommended reading for those seeking Detritus Debris Degree. This field guide is an introduction to familiar species of urban trash found on city streets, sidewalks, lawns, stream banks, and hanging from trees. This field guide lists the common name followed by the scientific name.

A Field Guide to Litter

1. Redeemable bottle or can (Lost Nickel Wrap).

Cans often rusty, crushed, flattened, or otherwise mangled. Bottles may be broken; handle with care-gloves recommended. The occasional mouse or other small creature could be expired inside the container. To avoid gross odors, seal container in plastic garbage bag and dispose of properly as soon as possible.




2. Non-Redeemable bottle or can including water bottles (High Profit Water).

Bottled water is much more expensive than tap water. The quality may be poorer. Then to add injury to insult the plastic bottle becomes litter.




3. Take-out food wrappers or drink containers (Fast Wrap).

Urban litter is often high in food wrappings (coffee and drink cups, burger wrappers, chip bags etc.). Fast food does not have to equal fast litter.




4. Plastic non-food packaging (Oil Wrap)

Manufacturing of plastic requires oil. If we leave, pieces of plastic on the ground long enough will it turn back to oil, seep into the ground and diminish our oil crisis?



5. Cardboard or paper non-food packaging (Tree Wrap)

My theory is someone witnessed cardboard flying off the back of a truck hauling uncovered waste or spilling from an uncovered recycle bin and then came up with the idea of the Frisbee.




6. Cigarette package (Iron Lung Wrap).

Here is where one can have some empathy or at least understanding of an act of littering. A smoker likely has lung damage that affects their ability to carry themselves about. It is probably difficult for them to carry their empty cigarette package to a trashcan.










7. Automobile parts, including tires (Heavy Trash).

Johnny Cash could have filled his lunch box with one piece at a time by picking up heavy trash and then building himself that 59, 60, 69, 70 Cadillac from the car parts littered on stream banks and in wooded areas.



8. Clothing and any cloth material (People Wrap)

If the Salvation Army ever runs out of unmatched shoes, pink bras, as well as sweaters, shirts, and other apparel they need only join a Green and Clean litter brigade to gather materials to replenish their stockpile.

9. Cigarette butts (Toxic Time Bombs).

At busy intersections, accumulations of butts make the road an ashtray. Not only are the butts aesthetically putrid, but these chemical dispensing filters keep on giving for years releasing their nasty elements into the environment-air and water- and sometimes are ingested by fish and other aquatic life.

10. This line Open for your entry. Hurry, deadline for national publication of “A Field Guide to Litter” is quickly approaching. Send your litter common and scientific name and descriptions to be included in this repugnant yet educational litter guide to llitterstories@yahoo(dot)com.


Latest public entries include,


                                           Released Balloons  (Floating Silent Bomb)

                       (Chokeweed) for animals and aquatic life.

Unsolved Mystery. UFL (Unidentified flying Litter)   Over a number of weeks in the spring of 2012 I found dozens of these discs.        

11. Sewer Strainers: Sometimes found on beaches, but also found along dirt roads or other public areas. Occupant most usually not in attendance.  Alternative: Kreuger Biofilm Chips-used in some sewage treatment plants. http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/913108-196/disks-in-the-river-wasted-material.html

Vermont's Green Up Day is the first Saturday in May every year.

 "Vermont was the first state to designate a day to clean up the entire state. Started in 1970 by Gov. Deane C. Davis (pictured above with a troop of Cub Scouts on Interstate 89).  Green Up Day 1971 was also officially recorded in the Congressional Record, thanks to US Senator George Aiken. 

That first year, the results were far beyond expectations. Four thousand truck loads were reported hauled by the Highway Department comprising over 20,000 cubic yards of trash removed from the Interstate and other state roads, and another 20,000 cubic yards, or more, were removed from town roads. Ninety-five percent (95%) of the 2,400 miles comprising the Interstate and other state roads were cleared and an estimated 75% of the 8,300 miles of town roads

45 years later, Green Up Day continues to thrive! In 1979 the Green Up endeavor became a private undertaking through the establishment of a private, non-profit corporation called Vermont Green Up, Inc. In 1997, it began “doing business as” Green Up Vermont. Its efforts now reach out to promote the Green Up ethic and spirit year round through its slogan, “Live the Green Up Way Every Day!” ~Green Up Vermont

Bernie publishes essays and photos reflecting Vermont values of Green and Clean and Community. He urges us all to, pick up litter and maintain a litter free environment through caring, community, and contribution in order to protect our water, wildlife, and human health. 

Bernie resides in SB, Vermont. 

Litter picking is an All Season Sport - Litter Survey @ sensitive areas in South Burlington, Vermont

How do you sustain and maintain Green Mountains? It takes lots of rain and sunshine. Our rain quota filled in July (and then some). Now we need some Sun! How do we keep South Burlington Clean as well as Green? Litter prevention and litter round up is the Vermont way. Volunteers picked up tons of trash on Green Up Day filling their quota (and then some). Now we need prevention measures to keep our neighborhoods, city streets, and streams Green and Clean. Keeping a small trash bag in the car is one way to reduce the likelihood of trash thrown out the window.

As much as we want August, September, October, and beyond to be sunny, we know, we need rain periodically to keep our beautiful scenery green. So it is with maintaining and sustaining a clean urban environment-pleasant to view, safe for nature’s outdoor creatures and us. Eleven ecologically sensitive stream areas cleaned up on Green Up Day now, only two months later show the need for litter prevention diligence and a pick up a piece every day attitude.

These eleven ecologically sensitive sites today average 14 pieces of litter per a 50 linear foot walk with some areas as high as 24 pieces of trash per 50 linear feet; much improved over the pre-Green Up Day defamation but worse than the pristine condition immediately following the volunteers cleanup effort in May. What has since accumulated may suggest to us where to focus our prevention work.

Heavy trash (tires, barrels, shopping carts, 55-gallon drums) were evident in May but not so now. The break out of trash at these sites in July was as follows: Takeout food or drink wrappers/containers (40%), non redeemable bottles or cans-predominately water bottles (16%), plastic-non food packaging ( 15%), cardboard or paper-non food packaging (10%), redeemable bottles or cans (9%), cigarette packaging (3%), automobile parts (2%), clothing/cloth (1%), miscellaneous (5%).

Good news: all that rain in July has assured tall green growth in these areas hiding for now much of the litter. The absence of heavy trash is also good news. On the not so good side at least one site (Market Street) was laden with five large partially torn garbage bags of household trash. In addition, another location, (Bartlett Bay road) had litter directly in a stream. Also remember where the litter may be hidden now, it may be in view later in the year, either due to seasonal vegetation die off or lawn mower hits (multiplying the littered effect) or due to the wind transporting the litter to our sidewalks, streets and yards.

Like the sun finding its way through the clouds, each of us can be lookouts for litter hot spots. Then individually or as community groups, we can pick up a piece every day, or at least not wait until next May to maintain and sustain our Green and Clean urban environment. Is your neighborhood litter free?

Litter picking is an All Season Sport - Misconceptions about cigarette butts. Cig butts top Vermont's litter list.

Cigarette butts impose daunting math problem. As six year old asks "Why do People Litter?"

Six-year-old Francine Able of South Burlington recalled when her dad challenged her to count the fireflies in the back yard one early summer night. At first, it was easy- for just one or two burning lights flew about. However, as others joined in the fray, hundreds if not thousands of the small insects infiltrated the Spartan sky. The following year when spring and Green Up day arrived, Mr. Able challenged Francine to count all the pieces of litter they would find and dispose. Francine was sure success would be hers this time. However, to Francine's surprise litter splattered the area they had cleaned up last Green Up day, imposing another daunting math problem.

Stalling, Francine asked her dad, “why do people litter?” to which he responded:

• Lack of knowledge of the environmental effects of littering.

• Litter has already accumulated. The more litter present the more people are inclined to litter.

• Lack of social pressure to do the right thing.

• Number, placement and appearance of disposal containers at or near the site are inadequate.

• People who litter often feel no sense of pride in the areas they are littering.

• They do not view the item as litter. That is often the case with cigarette butts.

Given the enormity of the pending count, Francine decided to try to improve her odds of success. “Cigarettes butts are small and inconsequential so I don't need to count them,” she suggested.

                                                                                                                         Photo by Rosanne Greco

To which Mr. Able responded, “Cigarettes may be small but they are more harmful to our environment than first meets the eye. Think of the volumes of cigarettes tossed on our streets many of which end up in our streams, rivers, and lakes. In addition, remember:

• Cigarette butts are not biodegradable (Most filters are made of plastic-like cellulose acetate.)

• The chemicals that leach out of the filters may harm aquatic life at the bottom of the food chain.

• Fish and other marine creatures as well as birds may ingest cigarettes mistaking them for food.”

As you can see here and especially at the outside entrances to public buildings, many people do not believe they are, littering when they throw their cigarette butts on the ground. We need to get the message out that cigarette butts are litter, in order to change the behavior that contaminates our urban landscape, harms wildlife, pollutes our waters, and creates a gargantuan mathematical challenge for you Francine.

Looking on the bright side Francine calculated that the day's Green Up haul of litter larger than a cigarette were down from last year. “Dad, now we need to get as strong a message out to folks about the harmful impacts of cigarette litter. If we do that do you think cigarette littering behavior will change and next year I won't need a calculator when we come back here next Green UP day?”

Mr. Able replied, “Francine, you can count on that!”

References: Bulleted litter facts from Prince Edward Islands web site:

http://www.gov.pe.ca/enveng/litter/index.php3?number=61866&lang=E

*Fictional story and characters. No intention to represent any real individual.
June 2009


March 2012 update
You Tube-"Butt Really" song by Michael Franti: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP_rg4xShac

Toxicity of Cigarette butts: http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/novotny_20legacy_20slides_1_.pdf

More Cig. Butts Facts: http://www.legacyforhealth.org/PDF/Environmental_Toolkit.pdf

Top 10 trash items in our oceans: http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/marine-debris/2012-data-release.html

Litter picking is an All Season Sport - New Years Litter Clean Up resolutions. South Burlington, Vermont

As a Vermont, USA, Earth resident concerned with our interaction with nature in an urban environment I write a monthly column titled "Green & Clean" or "Litter with stories to tell".

Vermont winter’s give us time to reflect and plan. It is so much easier to dream of all the things we are going to accomplish this year when actually doing the things is months away. Yet vision takes both dreams and action. Now is a great time to dream about a Green and Clean Litter Free City of South Burlington and to plan the actions that will fulfill that dream. So grab your walking stick, a package of flower seeds and some flower bulbs, maybe a bare root tree or two, and of course don’t forget to bring along a couple of small grocery bags to pick up any trash seen on the way. Come along to meander in my New Year’s Green and Clean resolutions.

My Green and Clean Litter Free New Year’s resolutions:

1. Rally for a November Fall Litter harvest day to mirror Green Up Day in May.

2. Write a litter nursery rhyme to help grow the Green Up spirit early.

3. Catalog all species of litter (field guide) before any of them become extinct.

4. Answer the question “Why do people litter?)

5. Combine Easter egg hunts with litter treasure hunts. Maybe hide a golden apple somewhere in the city litter.

6. Write an essay on litter-the man made invasive species.

7. Write an essay on how litter helped bring down ancient Rome.

8. Organize a litter anonymous chapter.

9. Organize a hooked on litter (removal) chapter.

10. Endorse ‘coffee for less’ on proprietary refillable cups. Think discounts at all participating coffee take out businesses in South Burlington.

11. Seek sponsorships for Saturday litter round ups. (Litter rodeos)

12. Plant shrubs and trees in our urban landscape.

13. Provide simple tree care tips for public and business use.

14. Design litter meters. Think red, amber, and green alerts.

15. Offer a litter clean up contest throughout the year recognizing: A. Most improved neighborhood or street. B. 10, 25 and 50-bag litter pick up pin awards.

16. Recognize and promote volunteers individuals, organizations, and businesses who find creative ways to green up and clean up our city year round.

17. Seek historical accounts from residents on topics like “Litter free America when I was a kid”.

18. Drive a petition to require one flower bulb planting for every ‘vote for me’ political sign. Imagine how beautiful the roads would be in the spring.

19. Begin a list of Green and Clean job (volunteer) opportunities.

20. Network with others also interested in developing a model of fun, socially oriented activities. The goal of which is maintaining a Green and Clean urban environment.