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It's probably true that one of the greenest things you can do is talk to friends, family, neighbors, and other community members about acting in an environmentally friendly manner. And the logical next step is to turn that talk into action—once you're comfortable, of course. A good way of doing this is organizing a neighborhood cleanup.
And it's really not as difficult as you might imagine—most people are entirely open to helping green their community. So one easy way to organize an eco-active event is designate one day a month (at least at first) to get together with neighbors and orchestrate a community cleanup. Here are some simple tips to get you started, if you're interested:
- Talk to your neighbors about the idea first, and mention the obvious pros—nicer looking streets, healthier plants and wildlife (and grass), and safer, uncontaminated groundwater.
- Propose forming a casual, non-committal group—Neighborhood Watch did it; this is Neighborhood Green.
- Have an informal meeting, and discuss your goals (one day a month trash pickup is a suggestion) and when a good day for a cleanup is.
- Procure gloves for each person and two bags for each group—one for recycling and one for trash.
- Meet on the given day, and spend a half hour to an hour combing the streets for garbage.
- Have fun—this could be a great way to meet neighbors who share some common interests, and an opportunity to spend some time out of the house with friends.
Your community will appreciate it. For a more comprehensive guide, check out Treehugger’s Guide to Greening Your Community.
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