Two people went on to publish and distribute a flyer throughout their neighborhood that outlined what they had learned. Merchants were happy to post the flyer in store windows to show their support. A nearby car wash donated plastic litterbags that a local scout troop distributed to residents. At successive clean- up days, residents have had noticeably less litter to clean up. Community leaders can go a step further, reminding local businesses to make sure trucks are covered and visiting local construction sites to let workers see that the neighborhood is committed to a litter-free environment.
Many groups can adopt neighborhood sites to keep clean.
In one area, the Boys Scouts, the Girl Scouts, a teachers' union, and several businesses each agreed to comb a street for litter. The number of adopted streets grew over time. This process created the sense of ownership necessary to keep an area clean. When kids walked down the street, they were more likely to pick up trash and put it in the proper receptacles than they were to add to the litter problem. Usually the process begins with a clean up of litter, leaves, and any graffiti.