CHARLOTTE — Tuesday is Earth Day, and Charlotteans are doing their part by participating in cleanups all week long.
Channel 9’s climate reporter Michelle Alfini introduces a few of the organizers and volunteers who hope this is just the start of getting more involved in making our area greener.
All week long, you might see a few yellow vests along Charlotte’s streets, cleaning up whatever they could find.
It is part of the Clean the Queen effort, a week-long collaboration between Envision Charlotte, Charlotte Solid Waste Services Department, and Keep Charlotte Beautiful.
“Doing this kind of event really opens people’s eyes to this problem,” said Gracie Bartel with Keep Charlotte Beautiful.
Bartel is the AmeriCorps environment engagement specialist with Keep Charlotte Beautiful.
She said events like this one, especially around Earth Day, are a great way to get people thinking about environmental issues across the city, starting with one that’s easy to identify but also overlook.
“Maybe you weren’t paying attention while you were driving around,” said Bartel.
Organizers said it’s not just about getting the big stuff off of our streets, but these tiny pieces of trash that can be easier to miss can cause the biggest problems.
“Those little pieces are what we really want to focus on because that is what can get into our water or get into our soil,” said Bartel.
From there, she said it can hurt local wildlife and even enter our drinking water systems.
Another way volunteers are trying to reduce waste this week is by learning how to reuse materials that would otherwise head to landfills.
Esther Moberly told Channel 9 that she had volunteered with Clean the City, but this year she’s bringing new friends and co-workers.
She said he hoped the event would help open their eyes to environmental concerns across the city, as well as to opportunities to help.
“There are issues. Instead of being at home and being upset about it, get out, do your part, contribute, and learn more about what others are doing. Learn how you can do your part to make a difference,” Moberly said.
Several other cleanups have been planned for this week. You learn more here.
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