Picture this: a sunny afternoon, a local park, and a group of enthusiastic little helpers armed with gloves and trash bags, ready to make a difference. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to make a positive impact on our environment while creating lasting impressions and memories for our little ones!
This quick guide to doing a litter collection project with your kids is brought to you in partnership with the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Recycling District.
In a 2020 study conducted by Keep America Beautiful, nearly 50 billion pieces of litter were found along US roadways and waterways. This pollution contaminates soil, water and air, having detrimental effects on both the environment and wildlife.
Raising the next generation, we have the opportunity to teach them better habits that will contribute to a greener future. Teaching our little ones the importance of doing our best to keep the environment clean is a great stride in this effort! Here’s how you can plan a litter collection day that’ll leave an impression..
Plan your litter collection day.
Start by thinking of a local area that could use a little cleaning up- a park, neighborhood,etc. You may even involve your kids in this step to get the conversation starter. Ask them if they’ve ever noticed a lot of trash in any of their favorite outdoor spaces!
Once you know where you’re going you can pick a date, a time and get the ball rolling.
Safety first
Gather PPE (personal protective equipment) and talk about safety precautions with your litter collecting team. Here are a few key points..
- Avoid contact with litter by wearing thick work gloves or using a grabber.
- If you’ll be near a roadway, be sure to wear high-visibility, reflective vests and be aware of your surroundings.
- Avoid touching your face during collection and until your hands have been washed/sanitized afterward to avoid transferring any possible germs.
Get out there and have fun with it!
Now that everyone is ready and knows how to be safe, get out there and have fun with it. One way to do this is to assign “jobs” to each child, maybe one person collects trash and the other picks up recyclables. If you have a bigger team you could even break recyclables down even further-one picks up cans, another plastic bottles, etc.. If you have a competitive crew you can even make it a competition to see who can collect the most litter!
Sort it out
Ensure all of the litter that you collected is sorted and makes its way to proper disposal sites- make sure the trash goes to the dumpster and the recyclables make it into a recycling bin or to a recycling plant.
Reflect on the impact you all made through your efforts and how that impact can be amplified by sharing experiences and knowledge with their peers. Take this time to explain the importance of your project and pat each other on the back for putting effort into a greener future!
Remember, the key to a more sustainable future lies within our children! Through consistent education and bonding experience like this one, we can work together to raise a generation of planet protectors.
The Recycling District assures safe and sanitary disposal of solid waste for the residents of Stark, Tuscarawas, and Wayne Counties. Their goal is to reduce reusable or renewable wastes from entering landfills within the district. The Solid Waste District accomplish this through the development of residential and industrial programs that educate, promote, provide, implement, and improve recycling opportunities that will preserve landfill space now and into the future. Visit www.timetorecycle.org for more information.