Municipalities

Central Falls - Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful has been successful hosting Tree Hugger Tuesday events. These are clean-up meet-ups, where we partner with a restaurant or business, and hold a litter clean-up around their property. Because these are usually busier roads, the events are for adults only after work.  After the clean-up, we have refreshments complimentary from the business for our volunteers. It is a fun way to help our environment and meet new friends.

Smithfield - The primary way that the Smithfield DPW tracks trash / litter cleanups is by weight.  In April, we use a separate dumpster for any material that is collected during litter clean-ups.  That dumpster is taken to Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, weighed and usually tipped for no cost, as part of RIRRC’s Tip Fee Waiver.  Tires are left out of the container, the weight for tires is estimated at 20lbs. for a standard vehicle tire.    

We also track the number of volunteers.  We usually see 70-120 volunteers per year.  There is one main clean-up that is usually held the Saturday closest to Earth Day.  We also try to accommodate businesses and groups that prefer a different day of the week.  We usually try to schedule these in the month of April to be able to include in the Tip Fee Waiver.  However, we are always open to any individuals or groups that want to volunteer any time of year.  

We offer up optional Scavenger Hunt Cards to make the clean-up fun for families.  If they are returned, this gives us an idea of the types of litter that is being collected.