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I would like to see our city adopt a Clean Up campaign for litter that rivals the Keep American Beautiful…those ads in the early 60’s showing the Native American on a horse with a tear in his eye. This helped shape the attitudes of a whole generation about litter. Before that time people would think nothing of throwing things out of car windows as they drove along the road. WE CAN CHANGE PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOR, BUT WE NEED A PLAN.
Here is my idea:
1. Do a major ad campaign, schools and all. to educate people about the litter laws. Film PSA’s with real San Franciscan’s explaining the laws and showing people picking up litter. (A lot of people do not even know they are responsible for cleaning their own sidewalks).
2. Come up with a catchy slogan: "It is YOUR city-Pick it Up"
3. Make citizens feel responsibility for reporting and where possible picking up litter. (Just like in the 70’s we had to "train" people to clean up after their dogs–to carry bags etc.)
4. Give people the tools to do this: Place many more trash receptacles on city streets–and do an assessment as to the number of pick up days needed by DPW to keep our streets and sidewalks clean. We need to be sure that trash cans and litter receptacles are convenient and well maintained.
5.Create clean up stations where people can get plastic gloves, brooms and put the 28CLEAN number up everywhere and explain how it works.
We do District clean up days once a year and people come out and do an amazing job BUT then the rest of the year, we just walk away from litter and dumping, as if someone else is going to take care of it. We will never have enough city workers to do all the clean up our city requires but we can help our citizens feel empowered to take a role. A clean city requires help 24-7.
We complain about living in a dirty city and we don’t have to. Sometimes you just need to make people feel realize that a clean city is everyone’s responsibility and we CAN change attitudes. We have done it before.
Thanks for listening,
Linda
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