Cleanup Kits

children reading books

A Novel Idea

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children reading booksYou may think of libraries as being an old-fashioned concept that’s no longer relevant.  Maybe you haven’t actually been to a library since your required time there back when you were in school?  Then you might be surprised to learn that today’s public libraries offer much more than just books on the shelves.

Libraries are very sustainable.  They allow you to borrow a physical book, movie, magazine, or music, enjoy it, then return it for the next person to check out.  Borrowing and sharing materials is more environmentally friendly than each person purchasing and later disposing of those items.  Many Friends of the Library groups have either on-going or annual sales of library overstocks and donated used books, where you can find old or new favorites to keep.

Here’s a novel idea:  libraries in Suffolk, Newport News, Virginia Beach, to name just a few, offer Litter Cleanup Kits with trash grabbers, safety vests, and other supplies that you can check out, take home, and use to clean up litter in your community.  If the library near you doesn’t have a Cleanup Kit lending program, ask them to get in touch with us and we’ll see what we can do to supply them with a kit at no cost.

You don’t even have to go to the library to benefit from some of the resources they offer.  You can borrow books digitally from the comfort of your phone or computer.  No trees felled for paper, and no need to drive to the library — digital materials are instantly available for your viewing or listening pleasure.  You can read “Nature’s Best Hope” (by Doug Tallamy) on your phone while you’re in the carpool line, or listen to “American Robin and Other Bird Songs” (by Greg Cetus) on your morning walk.

And did you know that September is national Library Card Sign-up Month?  It’s a time when Virginia Libraries join the American Library Association and libraries nationwide to remind parents, caregivers and students that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.  If you don’t have a library card yourself, now would be an excellent time to get one.  Here’s a link to find a library near you.

Hopefully, some of these ideas can help you add “Use my local library” to your goal of living a more fulfilling AND sustainable lifestyle.

Great Virginia Greenup Logo

Spring Has Sprung

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Great Virginia Greenup LogoWhether you follow the Astronomical seasons, based on the position of Earth in relation to the sun, or the meteorological seasons, based on the annual temperature cycle, March 20th marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere for 2022.  Hooray!

Spring is a time for many things for those of us who live in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  It’s time to resume outdoor dining at your favorite local restaurants, kids get a break from school, and grownups can hit the wine trails.  Virginia State Parks open up for camping – check out their new online reservation system.  And if you’d like a one-day free parking pass good at any State Park, we can make that happen (while supplies last)!

And it also is time for our national affiliate, Keep America Beautiful’s annual Great American Cleanup!  There is no shortage of litter in the landscape, and it’s time we got back out there with litter grabbers in hand.  Speaking of cleanup tools, Keep America Beautiful is offering free litter cleanup kits, one per person, while supplies last.

Here in Virginia, we’re doing our part of the nationwide cleanup effort by kicking off our own Great Virginia Greenup!  From March 20th to June 21st, we’ll be organizing and encouraging community improvement projects throughout the state.

Projects can include activities such as:

–  Picking up litter from roadsides, neighborhoods, beaches, waterways, and parks
–  Recycling old or unwanted items rounded up from homes and yards
–  Planting trees, flowers and, community gardens to strengthen green infrastructure
–  Restoring nature trails, parks, and playgrounds to encourage outdoor activity
–  Rejuvenating business districts to boost economic development

Participating is FREE, EASY, and REWARDING!

You can sign up here (free!) for the April 2nd litter cleanup at the Diamond, 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. in Richmond.  Join us and Nutzy as we clean up the neighborhood to get ready for the baseball season!

We all have a part to play in making sure our communities are clean and beautiful.  The path to a cleaner, greener future starts with you.

Thank you to our 2022 Great Virginia Greenup sponsors:

     Virginia State Park Logo           Pepsi Logo             D3G Logo

Black kitten in pumpkin

It’s Scary!

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Black kitten in pumpkinIt’s frightening out there, and I’m not talking about the ghosts and goblin Halloween decorations.  It’s the menacing amount of litter in the landscape – the creepy discarded face masks in the parking lot, the chilling fast food wrappers, and the daunting task of cleaning it all up!

Why bother, you ask? Studies show that people are less likely to throw litter into clean, attractive, and beautified areas. (Keep America Beautiful 2009 Litter Study)

What can you do?  A lot!

  • The month of October has been declared “Lovers Not Litter” month for the Commonwealth – and it’s official: check out the Governor’s Proclamation!  We’re partnering with VDOT to spread the word that October is a great month to get outside and pick up litter, and you can help wherever you live or work. Take the pledge, and report the litter that you cleaned up.  Or play a fun game!
  • We give away cleanup kits to groups and individuals as time and funding allow.  We just completed our Summer giveaways, and our cupboards are bare.  We’re hosting a kit assembly day to get restocked.  If you’re in the Richmond area on Wednesday, October 27th, we need 10 volunteers.  You must sign up to be able to participate.
  • Volunteer with other groups to clean up! Check our Events Calendar for your what’s scheduled near you.  Also, we have several affiliate organizations across the state, take a look at their websites to see if there’s an activity going on that interests you!
  • Adopt-a-Highway!  It’s free, and you’ll be given supplies for litter cleanups, and when you do your part you’ll get a cool blue sign with your name, or your group’s name, or the name of someone you’d like to dedicate your efforts to.  To get started, simply contact your Adopt-a-Highway coordinator, call 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623) or send an e-mail to [email protected].  You can learn more about the program here.

So don’t be a scaredy-cat, get out there, take a bag or bucket with you, and safely pick up some litter!

Pocket Ashtray

What Is CLPP?

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The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) was created by Keep America Beautiful® in 2002, and is the nation’s largest program aimed at eliminating cigarette litter.

As an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, here at Keep Virginia Beautiful we follow their guidelines and use their model to conduct our Cigarette Litter Prevention Program.  An effective CLPP includes four proven, field-tested solutions or strategies for reducing cigarette butt litter:

–  Encourage enforcement of litter laws, including cigarette litter;
–  Raise awareness about the issue using public service messages;
–  Place ash receptacles at transition points such as entrances to public buildings; and
–  Distribute pocket or portable ashtrays to adult smokers.

Here’s where you come in!  We’re giving away ten cigarette butt receptacles during the month of August to public or private businesses who will place them (and maintain them) in appropriate areas for smokers to use.  All you need to do is enter your name on this form before midnight August 31, 2020.  A receptacle will be shipped directly to you!  Then YOU can start making a difference in your community.

On a more individual level, if you or someone you know is an adult smoker, we are giving away a pocket ashtray to anyone who requests one, while supplies last.  Simply go to our website to take the pledge to Keep Virginia Beautiful by disposing of your cigarette butts responsibly, and give us your name and mailing address on the form provided.  We will mail you a pocket ashtray!

These are simple but effective steps that you can take to do something about the challenges of cigarette butt litter in our landscape.

And speaking of litter, you can also enter the drawing for a Cleanup Kit that includes six trash grabbers, bags for trash and recycling, safety guidelines, gloves, and a hand scale.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity for your family, neighborhood, place of worship, nonprofit, or business — we’re giving away ten during the month of August!