Massachusetts Beautification Bulletin | May 2022
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Is warmer spring weather finally here to stay? Let's hope so, as community cleanup volunteers across the state have had to brave some cold and windy conditions in recent weeks. Please scroll down for updates on this spring's Great Massachusetts Cleanup, upcoming grant opportunities, and more.
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Please report your community's cleanup results
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Volunteers Give Massachusetts a Clean Sweep
Over the course of April and May, thousands of volunteers from Boston to Provincetown to Lee and many places in between have been taking action to make their communities cleaner places to live, work, and play.
THANK YOU to the leaders of our 40 local KMB chapters, who collectively organized thousands of volunteers to take action to clean up their communities. We also partnered with several other non-affiliated communities and nonprofits to promote their cleanups through our event calendar and social media channels. Please be sure to report your cleanup results so that we can demonstrate the enormous impact volunteers are making across Massachusetts.
Thank you also to the business partners who have participated in our corporate community service cleanups this spring, including Roland & Berger, the Cape Cod Package Store, Viablogics, Blanchard’s Liquors and Woody’s Liquors in Revere, CybelAngel and Pick Up Mass.
Of course, we understand that simply cleaning up will not solve the litter problem. We need to enact legislation, educate residents and business owners, and enforce existing laws in order to change the culture that has allowed trashy roadways and public spaces to become the norm here in Massachusetts. To urge our state leaders to take proactive action to solve this challenge, please sign our petition.
Together, our local chapters and many others are making progress, but we have much more work to do. If you’d like to live in a cleaner community, take action and launch a local KMB chapter. We'll help you every step of the way.
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Apply for a $2,500 scholarship
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The Deadline for $2,500 Scholarship Applications is May 31
We recently launched a new annual $2,500 Next-Gen Environmental Leader Scholarship. This program will support a Massachusetts student who will be pursuing a degree in environmental studies or a related field at an accredited institution of higher learning.
This scholarship is open to students who attend high school in a community that supports a certified local KMB chapter, which currently includes the following communities:
Ashby, Ashburnham, Attleboro, Canton, Charlton, Easton, Framingham, Gardner, Hyde Park, Mansfield, Melrose, Natick, Newton, North Attleboro, Randolph, Rehoboth, Sherborn, Shrewsbury, Stoneham, Walpole, Weymouth, and Worcester.
The submission deadline for 2022 is May 31. For more details or to submit a scholarship application, please visit our website.
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Detoxify your cleaning habits
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Celebrate Earth Day All Year Long With a New Spring-Cleaning Routine!
Earth Day 2022 has already passed, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late for you to take action to help protect Mother Earth. In fact, you can make a difference by starting in your own home.
Over the years, your spring-cleaning routine may have become second nature to you. As you sweep, spray, scrub, and dust, you probably assume your home is getting cleaner and give it no extra thought. However, you are likely adding toxins and pollutants to your home throughout the cleaning process without even realizing it. By rethinking your cleaning routine, you can simplify your process, save money, and detoxify your living space! Visit the KMB blog to learn more.
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Help pollinators in your community
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Plant Something Bee-eautiful Grant Cycle Now Open
Our Plant Something Bee-eautiful program supports the creation of pollinator-friendly plants. Each year, we award several grants of $250 or $500 to local KMB chapters, garden clubs, and other nonprofits across the state. Last September, we awarded a total of $3,500 to 10 applicants.
Bees and other pollinators are in serious decline here in Massachusetts and around the world. Planting pollinator-friendly species not only helps provide habitat for pollinators, but also beautifies public spaces.
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Volunteers from Keep Canton Beautiful
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KMB Chapter Spotlight:
Keep Canton Beautiful
One of our newest local chapters, Keep Canton Beautiful, has gotten off to an amazing start. They organized their first-ever Great Canton Cleanup on April 30. More than 350 volunteers turned out and removed tons of trash and litter from Canton's roadsides and public spaces. They also raised $9,700 from the local business community to support their ongoing efforts. Congratulations to Keep Canton Beautiful!
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How to Be a Zero-Waste Party Animal This Summer
The outdoor party and cookout season will soon be swinging into high gear. With all those parties, however, there often comes tons of unnecessary waste. But it doesn’t need to be that way. Here are four ways to host a more eco-friendly cookout:
- Use reusable plates and utensils or use products made out of recycled materials. Preserve, a Massachusetts-based company, sells items made from 100% recycled content. FYI, plastic solo cups and utensils and Styrofoam cups are NOT recyclable and should be avoided.
- Serve drinks in reusable glasses or mason jars with a refill station. If you provide drinks in cans, bottles, or plastic containers, be sure to place a clearly labeled recycling bin right next to your trash barrel.
- Skip the straws or use eco-friendly straws. Stainless steel, bamboo, or paper straws are all great ways to avoid the environmental consequences of enjoying a cold drink.
- Skip the balloons. It doesn’t matter much whether or not you choose latex or Mylar balloons – either type will harm wildlife if released into the atmosphere. Think of balloons as airborne litter. Learn more at Balloons Blow.
Follow these suggestions to enjoy an eco-friendly summer cookout season and help keep Massachusetts beautiful!
Note: The image above comes courtesy of MassDEP’s RecycleSmartMA program. Sign up for the RecycleSmartMA newsletter.
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Enviro-Newsworthy Developments...
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Thank you for reading our newsletter and please contact me if I can answer any questions you may have about our programs, launching a local KMB chapter in your community, or sponsorship opportunities.
Sincerely,
Neil Rhein, Founder & Executive Director
Keep Massachusetts Beautiful
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