Massachusetts communities interested in growing anti-litter campaign after Change Makers
FRAMINGHAM – Keep Massachusetts Beautiful has been working with volunteers for a cleaner, greener state.
With 40 chapters statewide, its efforts have been particularly successful in communities like Framingham where the chapter has removed tons of trash from streets, parks and lakes.
Keep Massachusetts Beautiful
WBZ-TV featured Keep Framingham Beautiful co-founder Michael Croci in its Change Makers series in October. Since the story aired, people in Taunton, Somerset, Sandwich, and Dorchester have reached out to Keep Massachusetts Beautiful about launching new chapters.
The group is hoping the renewed attention will reinvigorate its effort to engage leaders, including Gov. Maura Healey, in a statewide anti-litter awareness and education campaign.
Founder and Executive Director Neil Rhein says it has been trying, for a decade, to get the state's attention. Rhein is good-natured when he says, in all seriousness, that litter is the issue that could unite America.
"For all the challenges we face in this state, in this world, this is one that's solvable and doable if we had a little leadership from the top," Rhein said.
Anti-litter efforts
Other states proudly promote their anti-litter campaigns. Texas, Tennessee, Virginia and Rhode Island all have them. Rhode Island's governor and first lady founded Litter Free Rhode Island to encourage people in their state to keep it clean by picking up "at least one piece of litter every day."
Rhein envisions use of the electronic message boards along Massachusetts highways, already used for various Earth Day messages, to remind people to keep trash in their car, public service announcements with anti-litter messages, information on digital screens in RMV waiting areas, and better enforcement of litter laws.
Changing habits could make a big difference in making public spaces cleaner.
"People have become somewhat numb to the amount of trash that's along our roadsides and city streets and public parks and beaches. They think 'This is just how it is.' But it doesn't have to be that way," Rhein said.
Keep Massachusetts Beautiful offers a letter template on its website that people can download and send to state leaders. The group is also collecting signatures on a petition it hopes will encourage leaders to launch the anti-litter campaign.