By Max Bowen-max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
With litter on the roadways increasing, the organizers at Keep North Attleborough Beautiful [KNAB] are mobilizing with two cleanups planned for late October.
Similar to the summer cleanups, these will have rules in place to encourage social distancing and protect the public’s health. Set for Oct. 24 and 25, the Great Fall Cleanup will not require registration, and people are instead encouraged to clean their own neighborhoods and parks. Masks are required, and participants will need to bring their own gloves, bags, and trash grabbers.
Filled bags and other trash will need to be disposed of through the regular trash pickup. If something that is too big, heavy, unwieldy is found, participants can call 774-306-1124 to arrange for disposal.
Marsha Goldstein, the executive director of KNAB, said that in recent months she has seen a stark increase in the litter on the roads.
“I went out with a friend last week to clean and there are still so many plastic beverage cups, bottles, cans, nip bottles out there,” said Goldstein. “The need to pick up accumulated litter continues. It’s discouraging that this is what we are continuing to find.”
The annual cleanup, which sees dozens of volunteers that help collect trash and remove larger items, was canceled in the early days of the pandemic. Those who take part in the October cleanups are asked to document what they collect and post it to Facebook or Instagram. They can also share how many bags filled up, how much the trash weighed, or interesting finds on the side of the road. Those who tag the posts with #KNAB2020 #GreatFallCleanup will be entered to win a candy and chocolate gift basket.
“This pandemic has put a strain on everyone in one way or another,” wrote Goldstein in the KNAB newsletter. “Let’s try to rise above it by taking pride in our wonderful town and cleaning up all the accumulated litter. Especially in these unusual times we all need to have a sense of accomplishment.”
For more information on the Great Fall Cleanup, email cleanupna@gmail.com.
