Trash Me

Block captains and community groups are expected. Businesses and students are more than welcomed. But rock stars? Didn’t see that one coming.

Philadelphia has been buzzing in anticipation of this Saturday’s Philly Spring Cleanup, and rolling up their sleeves to join the effort is Smyth, a local band trading guitars for garbage. While most musicians will probably be getting to bed about the time the cleanup begins, Smyth will be beautifying East Falls. The band also encourages others to the same, to get involved and do the “giving back to your community thing.”

Just a few days away, volunteers continue to enlist. The Mayor’s goals of 10,000 volunteers and 5,000 clean blocks, among others, are certainly achievable with so many lining up to pitch in. So thank you to those who normally may not, without the inspiration of this effort, for getting out of bed a bit earlier and doing your part. You rock (and in Smyth’s case, in more ways than one).

Richmond will be busy Saturday morning. Two neighborhood improvement districts, Richmond Corridor Association (RCA) and the Port Richmond Industrial Development Enterprise (PRIDE) will host community clean-ups, building upon this month’s earlier city-wide effort and continuing a neighborhood tradition.

For PRIDE, volunteers are asked to meet at the corner of Tulip and Ontario Streets, and can register by emailing Sandi King. The event begins at 8 a.m. and there will be refreshments and hot dogs for participants.

RCA’s clean-up begins at 8:30 a.m. at William Parker Associates at 2845 E. Westmoreland Street. Volunteers are encouraged to “bring gloves and a whole lot of energy.”

Lost in the election coverage, today celebrates environmental consciousness and global consideration, as Earth Day reminds us to take care of our one and only planet.

There is a variety of personal planet-friendly initiatives to undertake. One person is forgoing the use of running water this week (but I wonder about showering…). Another emailed saying she’ll be giving compact fluorescent light bulbs to her friends as an Earth Day gift. Etsy artist Rebecca Williams is rewarding the most environmentally-friendly with a pro-planet painting. And others are not filling up the gas tank today, walking to work or choosing mass transit.

Of course, I can’t think of a better course of action than pitching in and picking up litter. Community clean-ups are still happening, and even though the Philly Spring Cleanup has ended its marquee event, opportunities to keep our city clean and do our part for the planet are everywhere. If you need any extra motivation, treat Earth Day like New Year’s Day: try an Earth Day resolution to make a personal difference. Volunteer in your neighborhood to pick up litter, consider switching to CFLs, start using reusable grocery bags and if you don't recycle today is the day to begin. Your small efforts make a tremendous difference – so celebrate Earth Day by setting a goal and striving for that difference. Happy Earth Day.

North Philly, start gathering your #2 plastic containers. Making the announcement just in time for Earth Day, the Streets Department will be expanding single-stream residential recycling to North and Lower North Philadelphia neighborhoods beginning May 5th.

The expansion brings the program, which Mayor Nutter promised to deliver city-wide, to over 150,000 homes in East Oak Lane, Olney, Logan, Kensington, Frankford and Northern Liberties. Making recycling convenient for the aforementioned, flattened cardboard, #1 and #2 plastics, newspapers and more can be discarded in the same blue box, ready for collection.

Additional information is provided by the Streets Department’s recycling hotline, 215.685.7329.

Amid the primary excitement, it seems as if a few of the cheerleaders have forgotten something on their way to Indiana: campaign signs. I wish I had my camera, because my walk to work saw a variety of patriotic litter that would make Sam the Eagle envious, with red white and blue stapled and strewn about Broad Street. Hopefully, before catching a flight (or simply returning to life as normal) the campaigners take a moment to clean up.