Green Up Milton

I needed to do more. I needed to do more than just take my reusable grocery bags to the store, refill my water bottle or coffee mug, more than replace lightbulbs and upgrade our insulation or make the switch to more energy efficient appliances. I needed a positive outlet for my frustration with the daunting plastic waste problem and the constant reminder as I drive down the roads and see them littered with water bottles and nips and bags and matresses. These issues and all the other environmental catastrophes (not to be dramatic) happening around me, motivated me to seek something more.

Amidst the global COVID pandemic, I found Sustainable Milton (SM). Thanks to virtual meetings and a little more time at home, I was able to sit in on a Zoom board meeting and was inspired by what everyone was talking about! It was refreshing to learn about what SM members had done over the years to make Milton a Green Community. It made me feel energized to see that there were people talking about AND taking action in Milton to make a difference. I must admit, it was a bit nerve-racking to get on that first Zoom call, but the SM team was so welcoming and embraced my presence. At this meeting, I shared with the group my inspiration and vision of bringing a Vermont tradition to Massachusetts.

During Spring of 2019, I was in Vermont at a Little League baseball game and I saw everyone walking around with Green trash bags. As the day went on, I noticed bags along the side of the road and piles of trash. After some discussion with my family who live there, I learned about the wonderful State sponsored program called Green Up Vermont that was that was started in 1970 by the then Governor. Every year on a given spring weekend, all the towns across the state of VT pick up trash/litter along roadsides and waterways in their communities and leave the signature green trash bags out and the state retrieves the bags as well as any unbaggable refuse for disposal at the end of the weekend. I was inspired to bring this idea to MA, or at least Milton to start.

In previous years, there have been neighborhood clean ups around Milton, but it had been a few years since the town had banned together to clean up. In 2021, we worked closely with the Department of Public Works and Erica DeDenato, the Environmental Coordinator at the time, to reinstate the Green Up Milton weekend! Over 250 people came out to clean up over 20 sites around town! This year we held another Green Up MIlton Weekend in conjunction with a Green Fair where we gathered a wide variety of local vendors and educators to bring people together to educate community members about all kinds of sustainable actions that are happening in and around Milton.

Taking an active role in these community engagements have given me hope that together we can do more to make a difference. Every action, no matter how small, adds up.

Maybe one day every town in MA will have a Green Up Day!

Join Us! Get involved!