Green-Up Day Rids Vermont of Litter

Author: Dan Polifka

One of the more intriguing environmental initiatives undertaken by the Green Mountain State, Green Up Vermont sent tens of thousands of volunteers out to their local roads last Saturday to remove trash, debris and large items such as tires and sheet metal.
"Volunteers are given, through their town, gloves, big green bags and free disposal of trash," explained Laura Routh, head of the Addison County Solid Waste Management District. Participants take these large bags out to the roadsides and pick up whatever they can find.
The event, held annually on the first Saturday in May, is in its 33rd year and is going as strong as ever, according to Routh. Every one of the state's 14 counties is involved in some way. Addison County had participation from 19 towns - the whole county excluding Salisbury, Bristol, Hancock and Granville.
According to its Web site, the Green Up program is run by two part-time employees in Montpelier with a total overhead of $25,000, a remarkably low figure for a program that collects over 30,000 bags of trash annually. Considering the expense of other states' "Adopt a Highway" programs, under one dollar per bag of trash removed is an economical way to strip roads of large amounts of garbage.
Many believe, however, that the value of this program cannot be measured in dollars and cents. "This really sticks with you all year long," said Suzy Roorda, the director of the Parks and Recreation Department in New Haven. "You really feel inclined to pull over whenever you are driving to pick up trash. It is really remarkable."
Money for bags and gloves for Green Up day is donated by 11 companies, ranging from Coca-Cola to the Vermont Country Store to News Channel Five. The sponsorship manages to keep these essential clean-up items affordable for the state and provides good publicity and an opportunity to give back to the community.
One of the great features of the day, according to those in attendance, was that people of all ages and hometowns participated. "It was really a total community project. The school kids are really the best, though. They just get totally into it and provide so much energy, not to mention getting all the parents out. It's really, really great," remarked Roorda.
The Middlebury clean up effort was coordinated by town resident Peg Martin. "I would say it was a good turnout. I know in a lot of other towns they have a central meeting place, and we don't, so it is hard to say exactly how many people showed up," Martin said. "We did fill three trucks and then some, though. And the Rotary Club did a good job getting people out."
For town residents, Otter Creek Bakery held a hamburger and hot dog cookout for anyone who came in with a bag of trash, to give workers, particularly children, much needed food and rest after a day in the sun. Many other businesses across Vermont followed suit.
Though the trash is still coming in and won't be quantified officially until sometime next week, Routh said that historically the amount has been in the ballpark of 10 to 16 tons of loose trash for Addison County alone, excluding larger items such as tires and car parts. Many say that it could actually be higher considering that this past Saturday was a particularly nice day and most towns ran out of bags.
Another feature of Green Up Day is a poster contest that starts well in advance of the actual event. Children from across the state draw or paint the best posters they can, one of which is chosen to represent Green Up Day for all of Vermont. Roorda noted that the contest is just another way to involve children. With great contributions from schools and children in general, there is no doubt that Saturday was a cheerful and productive day.
Nonetheless, as Martin said, "It makes you think, what are we doing throwing all that stuff onto the roads in the first place?"