- in Green Home by Alexis Rodrigo
Host a Trash Pick-Up Party
Have you ever been enjoying the beauty of a landscape only to have your experience ruined by the sight of trash on the ground or in the water? Few things ruin the beauty of nature like improperly discarded plastic bags, bottles, paper, tires, and so forth. You may want to get active and help fix the problem, but it seems daunting and unpleasant. So why not host a trash pick-up party? You will elicit extra hands to help while visiting with friends and having fun.
What Is a Trash Pick-up Party?
Basically, what you are doing by hosting such a party is making something fun out of a necessary (if somewhat unpleasant) task. You are pitching in to help clean up the environment in general and your community in particular. Trash pick-up parties can foster a sense of community as everyone pitches in to take care of the area. Here are some ideas and tips for hosting your trash pick-up party.
1. The first step in hosting your party is to identify a specific spot you want to see cleaned up – a roadway median, creek, playground, neighborhood, etc.
Then, check with local residents and authorities to make sure your target area is not someone’s private property or private governmental property.
Take the time to obtain permission from individuals or appropriate authorities if necessary. Very few people would protest about a free labor party cleaning up their property, but it is still a good idea to ask!
2. Organize everyone’s tasks.
You can do this in a fun way – you could have everyone pick his or her task out of a hat (or used plastic bag!). Decide on what tasks need to be done beforehand so that everything runs smoothly. For example, you will need someone to bring large bags or containers to hold the trash, someone to drive to the recycling plant, someone else to go to the local dump, etc. Be sure to consolidate these errands as much as possible to save gas and keep emissions at a minimum.
It would be a good idea to section off the area, too, so that everyone is responsible for a certain spot. This will make things more efficient and easier.
3. Take care of your party “guests.”
You’ll want to have snacks and drinks available in reusable containers. Contact everyone ahead of time and ask them to bring something, or provide refreshments yourself. You might even want to have a special cake with an environmental theme (green frosting!).
Be sure to tell the participants what they will need to wear, such as waders or boots if it is a creek clean-up, thick-soled boots for areas with broken glass and other sharp trash, and heavy work gloves for everyone.
4. Keep your party green by organizing a car pool for your guests, or co-ordinating with the local public transit schedule.
5. Recycle what you can of the waste.
Some things will just have to be thrown out, but try to recycle as much of the trash you find as possible.
And finally, have everyone meet at a restaurant, coffee shop, or someone’s home afterward for fun and camaraderie!
photo credit: SpecialKRB
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