Remove litter and keep nature beautiful
Today, there are more than 50 billion pieces of litter on American streets, sidewalks, and roadways. Litter is responsible for polluting our water, air, and soil and impacts our quality of life.
Litter can be blown or washed into rivers, forests, lakes, and oceans and eventually pollute these waterways and ecosystems. Most litter ends up in the ocean, with 9 billion tons of trash added to the water each year, most of which is plastic which will never fully degrade. This pollution may encourage the spread of disease and impact the health of animals and humans.
Litter also makes nature less beautiful and makes people enjoy the outdoors less. One important solution is making sure that our city provides trash cans where people need them - in parks and other public spaces. Another important solution is to clean up the litter because research shows that people litter more when they see that others have already littered.
Keep our green spaces green
You can make a difference by volunteering to keep your local park or neighborhood free from litter. You'll need a trash bag, gloves, closed-toe shoes, and a friend. Make sure you watch out for sharp objects like glass. Take a photo before and after you clean to see what a difference you've made.
Be prepared to remove litter anytime you go on a walk - keep a pair of gloves and a trash bag in your car or backpack so that you're ready.
Want to take on more litter removal? Adopt a street or participate in a city-wide cleanup with Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful.
Did you notice an area that needs a trash can? Write a letter to your City Council and ask for them to make this change.
Take a photo of your clean-up and share it on social media. Make sure to tag @peancorg and #PEAYoungLeaders to be entered into the weekly Young Eco Leaders Raffle.
Click here to return to the list of all Young Eco Leaders activities