Waterbury-Duxbury readies for Green Up Day, May 1
April 19, 2021 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Jiya Sekar, a third-grader from Union Elementary School in Montpelier, won the annual Green Up poster contest this year. Her art will be used on marketing materials promoting Green Up 2021. Image courtesy Green Up Vermont.
Vermont’s 51st Green Up Day is Saturday, May 1, and volunteers are needed to pitch in to pick up trash along roadsides, in and near parks and other public places in the community.
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Green Up can be done safely if volunteers follow what’s become everyday precautions such as wearing masks and keeping distance from others. Below are details for Green Up in Waterbury and Duxbury.
Waterbury Green Up
The familiar bright-green Green Up Bags will be available inside the entry at the municipal offices and at Sunflower Market on Rt. 100 by April 20. On Green Up Day, May 1, two drop-off locations will be open for volunteers to hand off what they have collected: the town garage on Guptil Road from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (near the Post Office), and Rodney’s Transfer Station on River Road near the Ice Center from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please do not leave bags along roadsides as there is no pickup service. If you find something too large to pick up or transport, contact Green Up coordinator Lisa Scagliotti to let her know where it is.
Green-ing up is as easy as finding a spot to clean up and getting it done. There is an online signup to help coordinate efforts although it’s just a guide and not required. If the spot you choose is already cleaned when you arrive, just find another spot!
REDEEMABLE bottles and cans: If possible, please bag returnable 5- and 15-cent bottles and cans separately from trash. A school group will redeem them. Drop off returnables at the Town Garage site. (Household returnables will be accepted as well.)
Duxbury Green Up
Green Up in Duxbury is organized by the Duxbury Land Trust. Organizers ask that local residents collect trash on their own roads or volunteer to help out on a more highly traveled road. (Jill Smith is organizing for Crossett Hill and may still need some volunteers; contact: jillianbronte@webtv.net.)
Volunteers are needed for Camel's Hump, Scrabble Hill, River Road, Stevens Brook, Main Street, Turner Hill, Dowsville Road and Ward Hill. Town coordinator Audrey Quackenbush suggests that neighbors recruit and organize if possible and let her know what areas are covered. Reach her at audreyq@myfairpoint.net or 244-7512 for the latest information. Volunteers are asked to avoid Route 100 which will be covered by the state Agency of Transportation.
Green Up bags are available in the black mailbox outside the Duxbury Town Clerk's office. On May 1, bring filled bags and tires found along the roadsides only to the town Highway Department garage on Route 100. North Duxbury volunteers can leave bags at the pull-off in front of the railroad gate on River Road.
GREEN UP TIPS FOR ALL
TIRES: Any tires found during Green Up are accepted free at Waterbury and Duxbury drop-off locations. People may take personal used tires to Rodney's Transfer Station on River Road in Waterbury to recycle for $4 each.
PLEASE NO: Do not drop off household waste, hazardous waste, electronics or propane tanks.
COVID-19 safety: Be mindful of social distancing and wear a mask if you are near others.
Dress for Green Up with work gloves, mud boots, and long pants help to avoid ticks near tall grass or brush.
Pick a location away from traffic if you have young children along. Neighborhoods, side streets, parks, trails are safe choices with kids.
Watch out for trash that looks unusual or dangerous. Needles are a hazard and should be disposed of in trash (not recycling) in a sealed container. Report any sites that appear to have hazardous items to the local Green Up coordinator.
You may Green Up before May 1. Know that the drop-off locations will only be available on May 1. If you Green Up early, either dispose of your bags with your own trash or hang onto them to drop off on Green Up Day.
More information is online at greenupvermont.org.
Lisa Scagliotti is Waterbury’s Green Up coordinator. Contact: lscagliotti@comcast.net or 802-373-5878.
Audrey Quackenbush is Duxbury’s Green Up coordinator. Contact: audreyq@myfairpoint.net or 244-7512
For more information about Green Up in any other community in Vermont, visit greenupvermont.org.