Greene County, Pennsylvania, is renowned for its natural beauty. Between our waterways, unique geological structures, trails, and forests, the county overflows with environmental gems. However, these wonders are in danger of being lost because of littering.
Anti-littering campaigns have been around since 1956 with Keep America Beautiful’s first television broadcast public service announcement. However, littering is still an enormous problem across America, especially in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection estimates that there are over five hundred thousand items of trash along the thousands of roads across the state. Several of those roads are within Greene County.
But why does it matter if someone throws a McDonald’s cup from their car window, tosses a flyer on the sidewalk, or leaves tires along I-79? Because littering creates various forms of pollution, adds unnecessary costs on taxpayers, and can be dangerous.
Not only is trash on the streets and walkways unsightly, litter items like Styrofoam cups, plastic containers, and aluminum cans are dangerous to the environment. They can cause water pollution, kill native plants and animals, and destroy both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
The PDEP states that PennDOT spends about $13 million every year on roadside cleanups. Most of that funding comes from residents’ taxes. However, the worst perpetrator of littering in the entire country comes from a specific demographic—smokers.
Keep America Beautiful reports that the most littered item in the United States is the cigarette butt. These butts are usually not biodegradable. They never decompose and, when eaten, cause wildlife to become ill or die. They also increase the risk of forest fires if not extinguished. While Pennsylvania is not a major wildfire risk region like California, it is still a major concern for both forestry officials and citizens.
To combat the dangers and negative aesthetics of littering, Greene County officials and businesses are establishing a plan to clean up the community.
Local business owner Pamela Marisa of Waynesburg’s Direct Results and GreeneScene Community Magazine has teamed up with Greene County Parks and Recreation to help with one element of the anti-littering equation.
“One of the biggest reasons people litter is that there aren’t enough waste baskets available,” Marisa says. “My team and I want to change that and give our county’s citizens multiple different locations to throw away their garbage to help everyone clean up the roads and keep their families healthy.”
A Direct Results’ specialty is vinyl graphics and wraps, and their recent project is wrapping garbage cans with logos and phrases that promote anti-littering. They’ve teamed up with Parks and Rec to place these cans in public areas like the Greene County Fairgrounds and the Greene River Trail. You can also find these cans at Direct Results’ sister businesses, The Perfect Arrangement and The Denny House.
Marisa and her company are asking local businesses and organizations to get involved in this anti-littering project and are offering a special deal for potential project partners. Businesses and organizations can purchase one of these trash bins for only $200, and Direct Results will wrap the can with a fun campaign design for free. Businesses can take part in the county-wide cleanup and promote their commitment to preserving the local environment.
This branded trash bin campaign is a great fit for businesses and nonprofits trying to make a difference in the crusade against littering. How can Greene County citizens do to clean up their community? The county’s citizens can get involved with our anti-littering campaign by entering the GreeneScene’s poster and slogan contest. The contests allow our creative citizens to send in their ideas on ways to keep Greene clean. FMI, check out the contest promo in this issue!
If you are a business interested in participating in Direct Results’ community clean up initiative or if you have any questions in regards to the slogan and poster contests, call their Waynesburg office main number at 724-627-2040.