Vermonters get hands dirty, clean communities for 51st Green Up Day

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Vermonters all across the state scoured their communities with green bags hoping to pick up as much trash as possible for the 51st annual Green Up Day.

St. Albans residents set out with a goal of making their city even more beautiful.

“I think that being eco-friendly is really important because there’s only one earth, and we haven’t found anywhere else that we can sustain life, so I want to make sure that this place can sustain life,” said 9-year-old Hazel Roby, a Girl Scout.

Hazel and other Girl Scouts handed out green bags to St. Albans residents Saturday. They all say they want people to take better care of the world around us.

“For next generations, we need to have a cleaner earth,” said Girl Scout Jaylen, 10.

“The environment would be so much nicer if people just stopped and looked around and saw what they were doing to the only planet we know of,” said Molly McCarthy, who is also a Girl Scout.

The Girl Scouts could even earn a badge for the work, says their troop leader Debra Morton.

“A big part of Scouts is community service and giving back to the community, and this teaches them one way how they can support their community and take part,” said Morton.

St. Albans Mayor Tim Smith says he’s been participating in Green Up Day since he was a kid and is encouraged to see so many young residents doing the same.

“It just builds that responsibility for years to come. I would hope those same kids are not going to litter as they get older. They will continue to participate in Green Up, and every other day, they will take note of where the litter is and make the effort to clean up and have an impact on your community,” said Smith.

Throughout the city, the volunteers cleared a variety of garbage, from bags, to masks, and even needles. One police officer and her group of trash collectors filled 17 bags in just the first hour of the event.

“We weren’t sure how many people we were going to see out, so everywhere we’ve gone today, we’ve seen a bunch of people, so it’s really cool to be walking down the road and seeing other people with their green bags picking up trash and all the bags on the side of the road. It’s awesome that everyone can come together and create such a huge impact in picking up all the trash,” said Ofc. Kaylie Cadorette of the St. Albans Police Dept.

The bags will be placed on roadsides for the Public Works Department to pick up.

Related Stories:

Winooski gears up for Green Up Day

Vermonters gear up for Green Up Day

Warning about syringes, meth waste on this Green Up Day

Copyright 2021 WCAX. All rights reserved.