A Litter Bit Better Stats 2009
During April 18-25, 2009, more than 3,200 Rochester volunteers collected over 40,000 pounds or 19.5 tons!
Our thanks to all of you who pitched in to make Rochester A Litter Bit Better! Find RNeighbors on Facebook and become our “fan” so you can receive updates on future neighborhood events. There you can see lots of fun photos posted of the week-long community event.
For the 3rd year in a row, citizens of Rochester once again stepped up to the challenge to make our city A Litter Bit Better! during the week of April 18-25, 2009.
TOTALS
- 2007
1,400 Registered Volunteers
144 Participating Groups
21,000 Pounds of Waste Collected - 2008
4,003 Registered Volunteers
196 Participating Groups
23,800 Pounds of Waste Collected - 2009
3,200 Registered Volunteers
206 Participating Groups
39,100 Pounds of Waste Collected
Although organizers are pleased with the amount of participation and the amount of pollution prevented from entering our streams and lakes, they hope this event inspires people to prevent littering throughout the year.
TRASH TYPES
Based on survey responses, volunteers found the following items during their pickups:
Most Common:
Bottles, cans, paper, plastic, cigarette butts, and food containers/wrappers were the most commonly reported types of litter.
Large Quantities:
Cardboard, glass, construction waste, and Styrofoam were discovered in large quantities as well.
Most Unusual:
Unusual items collected included a sippy cup, a washtub, golf balls, an ironing board, undergarments, a keyboard, a Christmas tree with ornaments, a foam swimming noodle, a paycheck (which was returned to the business), a sword, a burned out suitcase, a bag of worms, multiple bags of dog poop, sawed off locks and a banded bird leg.
IMPRESSIVE FACTS
- Mayo High School students contributed 1178 hours of service time and collected over 2 tons of litter.
- RCTC students picked up 1.1 tons of trash.
- Volunteers collected 980 pounds worth of tires, 1,000 pounds of recyclables, and 200 pounds of metal.
- 96% of those surveyed said they would participate again.
- Participants included 155 school groups, 35 scout groups, 26 businesses, 18 Neighborhood Associations, 12 churches, and 5 service organizations.
- Sponsors contributed over $74,000.00 in services and funds to make this event happen.
Ten Reasons Why People Think Other People Litter (From 2007-2009 survey responses.)
- It is easier than finding a trash can
- They think the world is a trash can
- People are lazy
- People don’t care
- They don’t realize the impact they have on the environment
- People don’t respect the planet
- Peer pressure
- They think it is someone else’s problem
- Lack of pride toward their community
- It is easier to have someone else pick up after them
Do any of these reasons pertain to you? Think about the last time you littered, what the reason was, and how you can prevent littering in the future.
Do you have ideas about how to reduce the amount of litter in Rochester? If you do, submit them to Allison Plute at aplute@rochestermn.gov.
SAVE THE DATE FOR A LITTER BIT BETTER! 2010: APRIL 17 – 24, 2010