How Garbage Is Freeing People During Coronavirus Quarantine

FRAMINGHAM, MA — This is one garbage idea that's working out pretty well.

A new group was founded recently in Framingham to recruit local residents to pick up litter along local streets and in neighborhoods. The Clean Up Framingham Facebook group has exploded since its founding on April 21, adding more than 400 members from across the region after just one week.

It's an activity that is well-suited for the coronavirus era. It happens outdoors, and it's easy to maintain social distance when you're handling lots of garbage.

"Anyone can do it by themselves or in their small family group far away from other people," co-founder Michael Croci told Patch. "It's kind of perfect for the times of social distancing."

The group was started by organizers of the Framingham Earth Day Festival. That event was supposed to be held on April 25, but was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The litter pickup group was one way organizers could still celebrate Earth Day, which turned 50 on April 22.

The founders suggest that local residents pick up litter while out on a walk, although larger planned excursions are also encouraged. Participants should wear bright clothing and gloves, and definitely a face covering.

In addition to cleaner streets, members are using the Facebook group to post fun, inspiring stories about their litter adventures.

Christa McAuliffe Charter School teacher David Behrstock, who lives in Maynard, stopped to drop off a donation at the Daniel's Table food pantry, and then squeezed in a trash pickup at McAuliffe. He's asking other McAuliffe teachers to do the same.

Nicole Messier Doak — founder of the Framingham Coronavirus Community Outreach group — said that her son has been cleaning up litter, and was upset when he found a discarded toy squirt gun recently. A Framingham police officer in the neighborhood visited the boy with three other officers, and gave him rewards for his litter-pickup efforts.

Shannon Fitzpatrick cleaned up a stretch of Winch Street and posted pictures of her two white standard poodles helping out.

Picking up litter is not an activity exclusive to Framingham, either. Gutters and leafy roadsides across the state are littered with tiny alcohol bottles, cigarette butts, and plenty more. Croci has helped clean up streets in Holliston, and residents of other towns are posting about local cleanups. On Earth Day, a Worcester woman organized a litter pickup of parking lots that had been littered with gloves and other medical detritus.

Croci hopes the group gets big enough to clean up the entire city and perhaps beyond. It's also an activity that can be done all summer, even if coronavirus shutdowns stay in place.

"We truly believe that we can build our team to the point that we can clean up the whole city over the coming months and keep it clean for years to come," Croci said.