Trash Me

Since this blog is alive with activism, I wanted to forward a website I actively monitor: Phillyneighborhoods.org. The website, supported by citizen voices from a Yahoo! email group, is a compilation of neighborhood issues and citizens' opinions. Among the most tossed around topics is Philadelphia's litter issue, as residents openly discuss problems, weigh options and vent about their block's situation. Many of the City's block captains are contacted through the email group, and Phillyneighborhoods.org lists many communities' captain contact information and other resources.

The site, and the email group even more so, is incredibly active. If you want to stay connected with the City’s small-scale issues, make it a point to visit (after spending quality time on here, of course).

Sometime Friday night someone dumped five or six bags of trash on an already existing pile of trash and abandoned tires. A neighbor of mine and I have been making calls about the tires for two weeks, and instead of them being picked up it's just be added to. This pile spilled into the street this morning and just gets run over by passing cars. If this happened in Center City, it wouldn't have made it to Saturday. But because I'm on Linmore Ave. (does anyone in the Sanitation or Streets Department even know where that is?) my neighbors and I - and our children, who’s play-area is the area dumped on - are stuck with an ever-growing pile of trash.

This happens everywhere in Philly, but it seems like Center City is always and only under the trash-issue spotlight. I ask: who's helping the neighborhoods?

Anonymous

When I was growing up, I remember my mother cleaning our stoop and sidewalk everyday. Her and our neighbors would sweep and socialize every morning. And because of it our city streets were cleaner.

The first step in keeping our streets clean is personal responsibility. Like my mother, I clean my pavement everyday. In my opinion, it’s not government’s job to do that. It is our job, however, to provide the tools and assistance to individuals and community groups so that they can accept that responsibility. Providing trash bags and tools is part of that job – creating an environment where clean streets are important is the vital part.

That is why I’ve supported citizen clean-up initiatives throughout my district and why I have sponsored legislation to encourage property owners to be responsible for their sidewalks and streets.

Philadelphia is a great city. We should be proud of it. And we need to take care of it.

Frank DiCicco
Councilman, 1st District
City of Philadelphia

The Institute for the Study of Civic Values hosted the Neighborhood Agenda: Philly Blocks 2007 today and hundreds of Philadelphians gathered to discuss community issues. State and City officials, candidates, agency representatives, CDC’s, non-profits and citizens of every background collaborated on violence, schools, the environment, homelessness and affordable housing, green initiatives and recycling and economic opportunities. With these standard of living categories under focus, litter, naturally, was touched upon during the day.

Mayor John F. Street prompted a “block captain mentality” to be taken by all citizens, and congratulated efforts from those attending and elsewhere. He also highlighted accomplishments in reducing abandoned cars via his Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (abandoned cars, after all, are just big pieces of trash on wheels), and while successful he suggested NTI could do even more good.

Mayoral candidate Al Taubenberger promises community clean-ups if elected, and reminded the crowd that “there’s no republican or democrat way to collect trash.”

Michael Nutter motivated attendees to take responsibility and offered cooperation; “Take care of your neighborhood, and do not expect us to clean up after you... however we will partner with you.” He also urged Philadelphia to become the greenest in the nation, and recognized recycling, admitting Philadelphia’s attempts are “inadequate and depressing” and detailing the benefits recycling can offer.

In addition to speeches, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful and Recycle NOW Philadelphia offered information on what each is doing to address the litter issue and recruited volunteers. The Managing Director's Office provided its Guide to City services, which lists the "need-to-know" numbers for clean-ups and trash removal, violations and quality of life contacts.

With information and activity abound, the morning was a success. And a note of thanks for ISCV Executive Director Ed Schwartz, who made Philly Blocks an inspiring start to the weekend.

There is rarely a morning without an email concerning the efficiency of the Streets Department. While some are congratulatory, the majority are critical, wondering about accountability or commenting on poor service.

The Streets Department isn’t the only agency handling quality of life issues, and its successes are making a notable difference in our neighborhoods. In addition to trash removal, it supplies trash cans, organizes clean ups and fixes damaged streets, sidewalks and lights - not an easy nine-to-five. But criticism is still concentrated on its faults with questions abound. Dubbed “deficient,” frequent complaints include too many transfers and long or absent responses. Below are two anonymous comments: despite the good work, could the Streets Department take additional steps to answer the following criticisms?

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So for what are we paying the highest wage taxes in the country? It's time for the Streets Department to step up to the plate and do its job.

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The first thing we need to clean up is the dysfunctional and unresponsive Streets Department, whose lazy and careless crews make a mess on trash day, and then fail to clean it up. Where is the accountability for the Streets Department?

In an effort to reduce litter and save the environment – lofty albeit admirable goals – City Council is expected to hear legislation on the use of Styrofoam containers and plastic shopping bags. Councilman DiCicco will propose the plastic bag ban, removing the non-biodegradable from grocery and shopping stores. In the same City Hall hallway, Councilman Kenney is planning the citywide Styrofoam ban.

Both proposals combine for an environment-friendly move in a direction desperately needed for a city with a revolving door for recycling coordinators. Cardboard and paper food containers and paper bags would most likely be recyclable (and Councilman DiCicco has also recommended reusable, canvas grocery bags). If passed, the bans could assist stronger recycling efforts for the new administration, and help eliminate the commonplace plastic bag drifting across our sidewalks.

Personally, I’m unable to find fault with either recommendation. After all, recyclable litter is better than toxic litter, and this notable move could be a worthy highlight for national sustainability efforts. Thoughts?

Last weekend, when I was reporting on the Philadelphia Distance Run, I walked around holding a banana peel and a plastic water bottle for twenty minutes before putting them down next to a pole, where sanitation workers would later picke them up.
For blocks along the route where people were standing, cheering for their friends and family, there were no trash cans. And nowhere at all could you toss plastic into a recycling bin.
Pity.

It’s judgment day. Well, judgment “two weeks,” really. Today kicks off a two-week event hosted by the Streets Department’s Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee honoring clean blocks and assessing the best for city recognition. PMBC, partnered with Keep Philadelphia Beautiful, is holding this contest of clean blocks – finalized to 43 participants from a field of 6,300 –to highlight the summer’s volunteer efforts: PMBC cites nearly 10,000 blocks have been tidied up by over 88,000 volunteers. The total amount of collected trash weighed in at 2.1 million pounds. For garbage-aficionados, that’s a lot of trash.

The inspections begin this week and end October 4th. In addition to the Clean Block Contest winner, tokens of appreciation will be handed out to those with the fullest bags and busiest brooms – the city’s most dedicated and deserving volunteers. E-mail nominations to info@keepphiladelphiabeautiful.org; for additional details on the Clean Block Contest, visit PMBC or the Keep Philadelphia Beautiful homepage.

Pristine weather is forecast for Saturday, making it the perfect night for a rooftop party. Conveniently, RecycleNOW Philadelphia is throwing one.

Kicking off at 3 p.m., “Rock & RecycleNOW” brings great music and a worthy cause to the Whole Foods rooftop in an effort to raise awareness of the need for citywide recycling. With performances by six bands, including The Capitol Years and The Adam Monaco Band, door prizes and other goodies, this will be an exciting evening for recycling and anti-litter advocates.

RecycleNOW Philadelphia is a campaign demanding a citywide recycling program. With help from Clean Air, Whole Foods, PhillyCareShare and Sun & Earth, “Rock & RecycleNOW” aims to raise funds to support weekly, curbside recycling efforts.

"Rock & RecycleNOW"
Saturday, September 29th, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Whole Foods Market, 10th and South Streets
Tickets are $15 (all proceeds benefit RecycleNOW Philadelphia)
For ticket information call 215.567.4004 visit Clean Air online.