Earth Week 2022 is a wrap! Over the span of five days, we were at a Bingo Fundraiser, our Executive Director was interviewed on live TV, we had a largest cleanup event to date, we assisted at an after school program for their Earth Day activity, and we participated in a partner organization’s cleanup and beautification event. We are definitely in the “Earth Day Every Day” camp…

Spring officially arrives this coming Sunday, but with the weather we have been experiencing this week, it already feels like spring. We are entering the season of rebirth and renewal as we begin to see growth from plants, flowers, and trees, but litter also becomes more apparent on our streets and roadways. Waste-Free Dayton recently celebrated one year of cleanup events in early March, and we’re aiming for an even bigger second year.

When Waste-Free Dayton was established earlier this year as an official nonprofit organization, three focus areas were identified as critical to our mission: Reducing Plastics, Increasing Composting and Decreasing Food Waste, and Community Rejuvenation. It is that third area under which we include our monthly litter cleanup events. Organizing and mobilizing volunteers to get out into our communities is something tangible where we can see an immediate impact. It does not address the root cause of the litter - our education and awareness campaigns will hopefully help in this area - but it certainly helps with working towards healthier and safer communities. Recently, we had our largest cleanup event of the year.