NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN-UP TIPS FOR A GREENER ENVIRONMENT

WED, 25 FEB 2015 BY LINDA ROSADO

Whether you’re an apartment manager or a good neighbor looking to beautify your community, having the well-kept landscape of your dreams is possible. All it takes is a little planning. Keeping these guidelines in mind, you can set up an event to have a few, or many, people team up and clean the area, making your apartment complex or neighborhood safe for pets and pet parents alike.

WHO TO INVOLVE?

First, you’ll need to decide on how many people you want (or can get) to participate. If it’s just you and your family or a few friends, you’ll be able to have a tight team. However, any more and you should get help from your local county preservation and revitalization department. Not all may have the same name, but your local government officials will be able to point you to the right people. Varying by location, they’ll be able to provide event flyers, a hazardous waste collection site, t-shirts, gloves and trash bags for your event. As with any event, you’ll have to be careful with children and dogs.

WHERE AND WHAT?

Especially if this is your first time hosting a cleanup, you’ll want to be careful selecting the area to cover during your event. If you choose too large of an area, you and your volunteers will get tired or overwhelmed. You’ll also want to be wary of old electronic parts and other items that should not be thrown in the dumpster: paints, bleach, oil, etc. These will have to be separate and placed in a different container for disposal.

HOW?

If you have not already requested cleanup materials from your local government, these basic few items can get you and your friends and family started: gloves, garbage bags, dog disposal bags, moist towelettes and paper towels. A small group of people leaving the neighborhood in better condition than how they found it is a welcome action. If your event is large, sponsors may provide food, t-shirts and other collateral to pump up the action of your event. Local organizations may also want to partner up to maximize effectiveness.

Once you’ve set a time and place, and have all the necessary disposal containers and permissions, you’re good to go! You and your team can cleanup the neighborhood and make it a pristine place to stroll. Be sure to leave no trash left behind and thank your volunteers for helping you take care of your neighborhood.