Hiking in the Wasatch mountains, Patti and I stumbled upon a trash-covered campsite in the pristine wilderness. With a frustrated sigh, I pulled a couple of large garbage bags from my pocket and we filled them with discarded cans, plastic wrappers and other debris. We then began a joyless trudge down the steep hillside, carryingContinue reading “Litter on a Stick”
Category Archives: Litter Cleanup
Defeats the Purpose of Personal Protective Equipment
When I was at Beus Pond (Ogden City) last week, a young woman waved as she walked past pushing a stroller. I watched her get into her car, then before leaving she threw her sanitizing wipe on the ground. As I gathered my grabber and gloves to go and pick it up, another young womanContinue reading “Defeats the Purpose of Personal Protective Equipment”
Responding to the Shutdowns
Litter Myths
MYTH: “The city pays someone to clean up, we shouldn’t have to do that.” TRUTH: The city DOES pay someone to clean up, but the hours required to maintain a clean city – especially one with 46 parks and 75 miles of trails – exceed what the city is able to afford. Cities rely onContinue reading “Litter Myths”
Why I started pliking
I’m walking through the woods on a cool autumn morning, enjoying the crunch of red and yellow leaves beneath my feet and the warmth of the sun peeking through the treetops. The unfinished project on my desk, the argument with my sister last night, the decision about whether or not to accept a new job–allContinue reading “Why I started pliking”
Doesn’t the city pay someone to clean that up?
When I am recruiting volunteers for a community cleanup project, I am sometimes asked why the city employees are not cleaning up the litter/pruning the trail/removing graffiti. Which is a reasonable question, since most of us pay property taxes, either directly or indirectly. The short answer is that the city does pay employees to keepContinue reading “Doesn’t the city pay someone to clean that up?”
Treasure or Trash
I have a friend who enjoys exploring the beach with his metal detector, listening for buried treasure. Most of the time, he scores random scraps of metal, but he still maintains the hope that one day, he will be rewarded with a valuable find. Picking up trash has the same element of surprise and discovery,Continue reading “Treasure or Trash”
Don’t pick up more than you can carry
My friend Patty and I were hiking in Utah’s beautiful Wasatch mountains when we stumbled upon a large pile of trash–papers, cans, wadded up clothing lying in the brush. We filled two large bags and started to carry them down the steep slope, stopping every so often to set them down and rest. When weContinue reading “Don’t pick up more than you can carry”
Opening Our Eyes to Litter
I’ve made an interesting discovery while accompanying school groups on litter cleanup events. The youth involved literally do not even see the litter, walking past abandoned homeless camps and trash without a second glance. I attribute this to a couple of factors: first, their visual field (and that of many adults) has shrunk to aContinue reading “Opening Our Eyes to Litter”
Snowy Pliking Event
For the past month, I have watched a shopping cart (missing wheels) migrate down the hillside next to Bluff Trail, a heavily wooded and secluded area in the heart of Ogden City. Despite the icy snow on the ground, I decided that today was the day to return it to its rightful owner. A brandContinue reading “Snowy Pliking Event”
PLIKING 