A Solano County woman is stepping up to collect trash in her community during the COVID-19 crisis.
Steacy Sadler of Benicia said litter eventually ends up in our storm drain systems, which leads directly to our waterways and badly harms our environment and our wildlife.
After seeing trash build up on freeways, Sadler knew something had to be done.
“California, Benicia and the whole Bay Area has so much natural beauty and it is tarnished by all of the trash that people throw out their windows or toss on the street,” she said.
Sadler formed the Benicia Litter Pickers in 2019. The group started out with large clean-up events, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they had to adapt to social distancing rules, mask wearing and the availability of volunteers who could help.
“People will pick and choose what type of event they want to go to,” Sadler said. “They come out every once in a while, so we don’t see them all the time, but they’re all great volunteers.”
She noted the type of litter collected has changed in the past year, going from plastics to restaurant take out boxes and cigarette butts.
“We also noticed a huge increase in the amount of masks and gloves being tossed,” she said. “Plus, trash cans weren’t getting emptied as often.
During this past Earth Day, Sadler said they picked up over a thousand pounds of trash or the equivalent of 146 bags of trash, covering over 40 miles.
“I think that our group has really built a model that can be adopted in every city in California that is facing a litter problem,” Sadler said.
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