Hello! Our group, Make Berks Beautiful, is joined by Colby Pyle, Richard Kirkpatrick III, Vinnie Chopra, and Josh Breton. Throughout the Spring Semester of 2022 with Dr. Chambers of PSU, we had picked up all different types of litter from local Berks County Areas such as Gring’s Mill, Blue Marsh Lake, and around the Berks Campus. We had made immense progress by picking up every single piece of litter we could find such as water bottles, cardboard, and even broken glass. Out of the crash we had collected, we had made a bear sculpture out of trash named Barry!
Throughout our services, we had realized that the issue of littering is not only a local problem, but a global problem as well. That is why our group slogan is “Make Berks Beautiful One Step At a Time”, symbolizing that the only way we as humans can stop global pollution is if we start on the local scale first, picking up one piece of trash at a time!
Barry the Bear
Throughout our research, we had found that littering and pollution has been a major issue within Reading, PA. The city of Reading had recently spent $1million on an annual litter cleanup throughout the streets, including weekly street sweeping programs and enforcement against illegal waste dumping. About 8 million tons of plastic waste find its way into the oceans and 76% of litter is found on roadways which comes from motorists and pedestrians. Estimate of over one million animals die each year after ingesting, or becoming entrapped in, improperly discarded trash. Plastic litter is the most common killer of animals. Each year over 100,000 dolphins, fish, whales, turtles, and more drown after becoming entangled in or digesting plastic litter.
Brochure
Our Service Video
MYTH: Litter doesn’t affect the economy.
FACT: Litter discourages economic development because it impacts real estate values. Good stores and important businesses will not locate in a community which lacks the pride to effectively control litter.
Floods happen in
cities when the rate of rain or stream flow exceeds the infrastructure’s ability to divert it. City infrastructure is typically built to withstand a very high rate of rainfall or stream flow without flooding the city. Litter can build up in storm drains like a blood clot. When litter clogs storm drains and streets, the infrastructure’s diversion capability is decreased, and in some situations, this will cause flooding.
Make Berks Beautiful had an awesome time making populated areas in Reading have less litter than they had before. We strive to make an small but crucial impact to our community and campus by picking every piece of trash we see. The impact you make by throwing your garbage in the trash can is huge and proves the end of littering only can happen if we start one step at a time!