Volunteer Trash Cleanups: Pivotal or Pointless?

Volunteers in last year’s Great American Cleanup program collected more than 86 million pounds of litter, according to the Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) organization. The Surfrider Foundation notes that its chapters hold hundreds of beach cleanups. And Grist reported in March that the work of more than 390,000 volunteers in last year’s International Coastal Cleanup was a drop in the ocean.

While the numbers of volunteer cleanups and amounts of trash collected is impressive, the volume of trash is immense. So, compared to the actual amount of trash in the U.S. alone, are these cleanups really solving any problems?

The answer to the question is both yes and no, according to two organizations that hold cleanups.

Volunteers in last year’s Great American Cleanup program cleaned up more than 86 million pounds of litter. Photo: Gilroydispatch.com

KAB, a national organization, and San Francisco Baykeeper, agree that cleanups can change how people approach the environment. On the other hand, the organizations say many other efforts need to be carried out in order to effectively reduce trash pollution. In other words, cleanups are a key piece in a complex puzzle.

More Than Just Picking Up Litter

Organizaed by KAB, the yearly Great American Cleanup is a major national event. The organization says about 3 million people volunteer their time to participate in the event. The 2009 Great American Cleanup is currently underway – it began March 1 and will run through May 31. In last year’s cleanup, volunteers removed litter and held beautification projects in every state.

“Activities included beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning seashores and waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter, planting trees and flowers and conducting educational programs and litter-free events,” the organization’s site notes.

While the Great American Cleanup is a prominent KAB event, the organization also addresses litter and beautification in other ways, including public/private partnerships, education and awards. But are cleanups really an effective way to fight the battle against litter pollution?

“Cleanups are not the answer to litter,” says Robert Wallace, KAB’s vice president of communications. “Litter prevention and education before people throw trash on the street is always ideal.”

KAB coordinates its cleanups with its education and prevention work, and therefore views its cleanups to be useful.

“We look at every cleanup as education, and we try to teach it that way,” Wallace says.

KAB also aims to alter citizens’ behavior through its cleanups. Wallace notes that prevention is the ultimate goal. The roles of schools and local governments are key. School systems educate students about litter prevention in the context of social studies and civics, Wallace says. KAB also emphasizes the importance of enforcement, and advises local governments to follow through on their existing rules. When a local government has a rule to fine residents for littering, KAB tells it to assess the fine and “walk the talk.”

On the Local Level

Meanwhile, cleanups coordinated by an environmental group in San Francisco are on a smaller scale than KAB’s but have the same aim to alter behavior. Sara Aminzadeh, public affairs associate for San Francisco Baykeeper, says cleanup participants can take home the message of altering the way they treat the environment.

Volunteers picked up 900 pounds of trash at the small India Basin Shoreline Park in the San Francisco Bay Area during Baykeeper’s 2008 cleanup. Photo: Physorg.com

She says many students were part of a group of 90 people that volunteered in Baykeeper’s 2008 cleanup. Aminzadeh tells Earth911 that she has “no doubt that participating in the cleanup event impacted people’s behavior and thinking.” She also notes that the act of clearing away the trash is also beneficial on its own.

“First, the amount of trash removed during a clean-up, while it doesn’t solve the marine debris problem, can make a significant impact on the beach or park targeted,” Aminzadeh says.

She points out that volunteers picked up 900 pounds of trash at the small India Basin Shoreline Park in the San Francisco Bay Area during Baykeeper’s 2008 cleanup.

“The removal of such a large amount of cigarette butts, tires, cans and other debris definitely improved the health of the wildlife and ecosystem in that area,” Aminzadeh says.

Changing the Laws

But while Baykeeper thinks volunteer cleanups serve useful purposes, the organization says people also need to advocate for legislation to counter trash pollution. Aminzadeh suggests that public citizens should seek new laws.

“If people want to take action that will truly make a dent in our marine debris problem, they must voice their concerns around this issue,” she says. “Contact their legislators and write to their local papers to make sure that laws get passed to address the problem.”

In California, Baykeeper is backing a bill that would set a fee on plastic bags at stores. Authored by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica), the bill calls for consumers purchasing items at a store to pay a minimum of 25 cents for each plastic bag starting in 2010. The funds from the fees would go toward programs that curb trash pollution.

“The marine debris problem is extremely severe,” Aminzadeh says. “Many people are now aware of the Pacific Garbage Patch, a heap of debris floating in the Pacific that is twice the size of Texas. Clearly this problem cannot be solved solely by once-yearly coastal clean-ups.”