2024 Litter Pick-Up Day – Thank You To Everyone!

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Despite the rain, Charlestown’s April 20 Litter Pick-Up Day had a solid turn out of dedicated volunteers, and a respectable amount of roadside litter was picked up. If we are measuring volunteerism, love of community, hard work and just plain responsible citizenship, then it was a huge success! Bravo to everyone who pitched in and also to those who tooted their horns and gave thumbs up to the volunteers, giving everyone energy! Once again, the volume and type of litter collected tells a story of excessive drinking and driving, irresponsibility, and a brazen lack of respect for the environment.

Everyone picking up trash was laughing and making their task fun, but most ended their day feeling little tolerance for the litterbugs. Whoever you are who throws trash along the road and into the woods, we want you to stop!

A special thank you to Compass Hardware, at 8 Ridgewood Road in Charlestown, and Quonnie Farms at 16 West Beach Road, who gave up time and space in their stores to hand out blue bags to the volunteers and promote the event.

  • Thanks to our volunteer fire departments who accepted litter-filled blue bags for drop off.
  • Thanks to the great staff at the transfer station for their efforts and amazing patience.
  • Thanks to Alan Arsenault and the Charlestown Department of Public Works for dedicating staff time and helping with much of the process.
  • Thanks to Town Administrator Jeffrey Allen for town sponsorship of the event and then going out and picking up litter himself.
  • Thanks to Warren Schwartz who proposed this event in 2018 and has made it a reality for many of the years since.
  • And Thank You – every single one of you who volunteered!

For some, everyday is litter pick-up day. There are many of you who already pickup roadside litter as you take an afternoon walk or you may continuously clean the litter tossed in front of your property. Thank you especially to those of you who do this work without prompting or organizing.

Spotlight on Frances and John Topping

Picture of Frances and John Topping on Litter Pick-up Day
John and Frances Topping

On “Clean up Charlestown” day Frances Topping and her husband John picked up road-side litter from King’s Factory Road, a notoriously highly littered road. They said that despite being “seniors,” they managed to do “one and a half hours of pickup filling two of the large blue bags before being too tired to do more. This only did about one quarter of King’s Factory Road but fortunately other and younger concerned residents did more.” There was more to be done so next day they did another hour and one and a half more bags. Lots of nips and beer cans were found, and much other garbage that spoils the look of our roads. John Topping shares the following message, “Thanks to everyone who picked up all over town. If an area was missed consider doing it even if not on Earth Day or Town litter pick up day”

Tired of Litter? Let the legislature know you support the “Bottle Bill” that can make our roads cleaner and safer, reduce litter and marine debris, increase recycling rates, protect our environment and natural resources, and save taxpayers money.

Visit Our “Trash Talk” Page For More On The Litter Issue