Sunshine, community pride and teamwork was the recipe for a record breaking GreenUp
Families, neighbors, local businesses and organizations cleaned up greenbelts, roadsides and waterways at Earth Day GreenUp on Saturday, March 23. An astounding 1,077 participants waded through tall grass and forested thickets to remove 8,676 gallons of trash – the equivalent of 90 of our curbside carts. An additional 4lbs of cigarette butts were cleaned up out of our greenways and recycled with TerraCycle, protecting wildlife and preventing harmful toxins from leaching into groundwater. Construction debris such as metal poles and concrete, coolers, street signs, full pet waste bags, broken lawn furniture and tires were all pulled from The Woodlands’ greenbelts.
The most common type of litter collected at GreenUp was single-use plastics including grocery bags, disposable cutlery and cups, fast food containers and straws. These highly abundant items are easily blown from parking lots, picnic areas and trash barrels into neighboring greenbelts.
So a simple way to cut down on litter is to reduce our use of disposable plastics to begin with. Remember, when you’re on the go, BYO! Equip yourself with reusable alternatives – travel mugs, tote bags, reusable cutlery, and straws.
The After Clean-Up-Your-Block Party
After cleaning up, participants joined the party at Northshore Park where they were treated to a pizza lunch and received an event t-shirt. Buck Yeager Band entertained with country favorites and original music as Mr. Cirque wowed crowds with his circus arts including juggling, globe walking and more!
Local organizations provided face painting, crafts, live animal demonstrations and environmental education. Exhibitors included All Nations Community School, Bayou Land Conservancy, Citizens Climate Lobby, East Texas Herpetological Society, Friends of Texas Wildlife, H-GAC, Houston Spinstars, Let Them Drum, Plant for Pollinators, Pure Mutts Animal Sanctuary, Spring Creek Nature Center, Targeting Mosquitoes, Waste Management
GreenUp The Woodlands Year Round!
Consider recruiting a group and organizing your own cleanup anytime of the year. Contact The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov to borrow equipment. Please include your name, contact information, anticipated date, number of participants and proposed location.
Thank you for Greening Up with us
A special thank you to all participants, volunteers and sponsors that partnered with us to keep The Woodlands a beautiful place to live, rich in shades of green.
