Green Up volunteers make more than a ton of improvement
May 12, 2023 | By Lisa Scagliotti
The recent streak of rainy weather broke just in time for Green Up Day last Saturday, May 6, and volunteers fanned out all over town to pick up more than 1.25 tons of trash along roadsides, in parks and neighborhoods.
The weight was recorded for Watebury’s Green Up container, according to Jennifer Wilder at Casella. That doesn’t include Green Up trash volunteers likely picked up and tossed with their own trash at home or at work in addition to the community collection.
Between 200 and 300 volunteers took part this year with dozens signing up online to claim their spots. They dropped off their filled green bags either at the town Highway Department garage on Guptil Road or at Rodney’s Transfer Station downtown.
In some cases, groups headed from workplaces in town such as folks at Darn Tough, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation offices, and a crew from Ivy Computers.
After three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year saw particular interest from volunteers around Vermont eager to get out and clean up in their communities. Statewide coordinator Kate Alberghini on Wednesday before Green Up Day emailed all of the local organizers letting them know there were no more bags to be had should they run out. The nonprofit organization (Green Up is not run by a state agency) distributed 65,000 bags printed for 2023 along with 2,000 bags left over from 2022, Alberghini said.
In Waterbury, volunteers quickly snapped up 300 bags at the town offices and Sunflower market.
Photo by Gordon Miller
Posted here are photos from the day from Gordon Miller and myself along with others sent in from volunteers.
While Green Up may be just one day on the calendar, much work goes into it ahead of time to prepare. In addition to everyone who filled up bags in their neighborhoods and around town, there are many to thank for their help in making Green Up Day 2023 a success:
Town Clerk Karen Petrovic and Assistant Town Clerk Beth Jones along with John and Pam at Sunflower Market for handing out bags.
Celia Clark and her crew at the Waterbury Highway Department for the use of the garage, assistance with the container, and help collecting large items. The town also covers the cost of the container and trash disposal.
Tyler Keefe at Pack and Send Plus for updating the Green Up banner and Wyatt O’Brien for approving a spot to hang it at the town offices.
Rodney Companion and his staff for running a drop-off site at their trash and recycling center. Special thanks to Cheyenne Abare who kept a list of volunteers.
Volunteers at the highway garage drop-off helped keep things running smoothly all day as people unloaded their bags and more: Bill Minter, Adrianna Benson, Izzy Fish, Maureen McCracken, Municipal Manager Tom Leitz and Select Board Chair Roger Clapp all put in shifts. Benson also took home a pickup-truckload of returnable bottles and cans to clean and redeem, donating the proceeds to Green Mountain Performing Arts.
Chuck Kletecka made multiple trips up and down Rt. 100 and around town to help collect bags as volunteers worked along the busiest stretches of road. Steve and Judy Lotspeich and Alan Aiken collected more than one truckload themselves.
John Malter and the Mad River Resource Management Alliance for its tire recycling collection that disposed of dozens of Green Up tires volunteers found during the day and accepted tires people turned in for recycling. We counted more than 100 tires rounded up, most of them pulled from ditches and streams.
The Clyde Whittemore Little League and Boy Scout Troop 701 also collected personal tires on Green Up Day as a fundraiser, adding to the day’s focus on recycling.
Waterbury Roundabout editor Lisa Scagliotti volunteers as Waterbury’s Green Up coordinator. We hope to have a recap from Duxbury to share soon with photos as well.