A Litter Bit Better! 2015 Final Results

A Litter Bit Better! 2015 Final Results

2015 was the 9th annual Help Make Rochester A Litter Bit Better! event. Each year, thousands of volunteers collect litter from across Rochester. Together in the past 9 years, these individuals, service groups, businesses, scout troops, faith-based organizations, neighborhood associations, and families have worked together to remove over 112 tons of litter from the community. The removal of this waste reduces potential land and water pollution while beautifying our cityscape. Participants in the event build community ties and reinforce a strong sense of community pride. The ultimate goal of the program is to prevent water pollution by eliminating litter-causing behavior in the City of Rochester.

Volunteers picked up litter at 239 collection sites that covered 5,300 acres of land in Rochester. The sites ranged in size from 0.5 acres to 257 acres with the average site being 22 acres in size. These efforts resulted in 33,880 pounds of litter being removed from the environment in 2015.

The amount of litter picked up in 2015 was the second largest amount in the history of the event. The number of volunteers collecting has remained steady through the last 7 years, so this result is not due to increased effort. An astonishing 89% of volunteers in 2015 had previously participated in A Litter Bit Better! and 100% of survey respondents indicated they would participate again in the future.

Over 88% of survey respondents picked up fast food packaging and plastic bags. 90% of respondents picked up plastic bottles.

Opportunities for Involvement

Here are some ways you can be involved in A Litter Bit Better!

  • 2016 Steering Committee Members – Be a part of leading A Litter Bit Better! Members work to keep the program running smoothly and develop new initiatives. (Members attend 5, hour-long meetings per year.)
  • Distribute posters
  • Recruit Business Partners
  • Solicit donations

Contact Megan Moeller via email or 507-328-2440 if you would like more information. The information posted on this page is a condensed version of the final results. The entire PDF can be accessed here.

Save the Date for the next A Litter Bit Better! April 23-230, 2016.

More pictures of the volunteers who pitched in for A Litter Bit Better! 2015 can be seen posted on the RNeighbors facebook page.

Have a comment? Join us on Facebook!