I participated in the Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day as part of a team from CleanRiver Recycling Solutions, an Aurora company that manufactures recycling bins from recycled HDPE plastic.

I found it ironic that the organizers chose to serve bottled water during the BBQ when plastic water bottles are amongst the most common items thrown away but not recycled. Our company team picked up dozens of these very bottles in the Aurora Arboretum that day but on my way leaving the BBQ I saw half-full water bottles abandoned all over the park.

I also was very disappointed the Town wasn’t collecting compost at the BBQ (or if they were it wasn’t obvious where it was); I was forced to throw leftover food into a container heading for landfill.

I would love to see a more complete recycling/composting/waste program at the event next year (and perhaps even permanently installed there) so that all three streams of waste accepted by the Town could be collected and if they happened to be CleanRiver Recycling Containers, all the better!

Like you, next year I also hope to see the Town be more creative in their approach. With the number of children in attendance, this year’s event was a missed opportunity to educate kids and families about litter and work towards picking up LESS litter next year.

Elizabeth
http://cleanriver.com
http://youtu.be/XKBhOfNJdDw