By Michael Gonzales-Hesse
Sandy Neck Beach. (Michael Gonzales-Hesse)
Ninety percent of college students find a clean environment essential for effective learning, according to Ecolab.com. Students can help clean our community by joining the efforts of the volunteer organization Keep Barnstable Beautiful.
The volunteer group organizes cleanup events every other month in various locations around Barnstable.
On Sunday, Sept. 22, members came together to clean up trash at a local park. They collected bottles, paper, and other debris scattered across the grounds and lodged in trees. The community was able to collect 520 pounds of recyclable items and trash for the day.
On May 18, it gathered at West Village Elementary School and cleaned Sandy Neck Beach, removing 83 pounds of debris.
Volunteers at these events are provided with gloves, bags, and tools to ensure safe and effective cleanup. Emphasizing the importance of recycling, Keep Barnstable Beautiful encourages participants to sort items like paper, plastic, and soda cans. According to Barnstable County, initiatives such as the community shrink wrap recycling program have helped keep nearly seven times less shrink wrap out of local waters. In 2022, Cape Cod clean-up events led to the removal of 37,000 pieces of trash from beaches alone, as reported by Patch.com.
Local businesses are also joining the effort. The Cape Cod Package Store of Fine Wine and Spirits co-hosts these events, which span from Bourne to Truro. La Tanzi, Spaulding & Landreth was named the best eco-friendly business for 2024 by the Cape Cod Community Best Choice Awards for its commitment to environmental protection.
According to EPA, community cleanups will limit the amount of waste that we put underground and, in our oceans, make renewable resources more abundant and limit pollution and greenhouse gases. Also, according to the EPA, most Americans believe in recycling because they believe that they want to be a difference maker in the world.
There is another cleanup on Oct. 12 at Veterans Beach in Hyannis and Craigsville Beach on Osterville. Keeping Barnstable Beautiful are looking for volunteers. To sign up or for more information: https://keepmassbeautiful.org/about-us/keep-barnstable-beautiful.html.