Green Up Day! Get the Whole Family Involved in Greening Up Vermont

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We all know how important it is to reduce, reuse, and recycle to keep our earth healthy. Vermont offers another opportunity for you to get together with your community and clean up! Green Up Day is an opportunity for your whole family to make the environment a little cleaner.

Green Up Day is your chance to make a difference in your community!

Started by Governor Deane Davis in 1970, Green Up Day occurs on the first Saturday of May every year.

It’s a statewide event for volunteers all over Vermont to remove litter from roadsides and public spaces. 247 towns and cities participate. This is a wonderful opportunity to teach children how to care for the environment.

To participate, get Green Up bags from your town coordinator, then fill them with the litter you find in public spaces. Take full bags to your town’s drop-off point and they will properly dispose of all litter. For your safety, do not pick up any needles or other hazardous materials. Instead, report them to your town coordinator. Also, remember to practice proper tick protection!

Here are some specific examples of how to participate in Green Up Day in your town. If your town isn’t listed here, check with Green Up Vermont for more information. Please verify all dates and times before hopping into the car- as information may have changed since publishing.

Barre

Bags are available at the Town Office, City Clerk’s Office, Spaulding High School, Merchants Bank, and Resource. Leave filled bags along the roadsides for pickup. The Girl Scouts will be hosting a thank-you barbecue lunch for Green Up Day volunteers at noon at the Recreation Picnic Shelter.

Bennington

Green Up bags are available at the Town Office and Bennington Subaru. Please contact the Bennington Town Office about where you will collect trash to help coordinate pickup efforts. Leave trash along the roadside. Refreshments for all volunteers will be available at Bennington Subaru.

Brattleboro

Prior to Green Up Day, bags will be available at the Chamber of Commerce. On Green Up Day, bags will be available for pickup from 8 am until noon at the Brattleboro Co-op and Brattleboro Subaru. Leave full bags along the roadside. Coffee and donuts will be provided to volunteers at Brattleboro Subaru.

Burlington

Bags are available at several locations the week prior to Green Up Day, including the Burlington Electric Department, St. Joseph’s School, Citizen Cider, CEDO, Burlington Subaru, and the Miller Community Center. On Green Up Day, bags will be available from 8 am to 12 pm at Saint Joseph’s School, the Miller Center, Burlington Subaru, and Salmon Hole Park. Leave filled bags along any major roadway for collection. Refreshments will be served to all volunteers at Burlington Subaru.

Burlington waterfront clean after Green Up Day

Colchester

Bags will be available at the Colchester Police Station from 8 am until 12 pm on Green Up Day. Full bags can be left on the roadside or returned to the distribution site at the police station. The Rotary sponsors a free hot dog roast for all volunteers at noon.

Essex/Essex Junction

Bags are available ahead of time at the Village Office, the Brownell Library, or the Essex Junction Parks and Rec office. On Green Up Day, pick up bags at the 5 Corners from 9 am until noon. Bring full bags to the Town Common, the Highway Garage/Town Fire Station, the Indian Brook Reservoir, or the corner of Susie Wilson Road and Blair Road in the town of Essex. In the village of Essex Junction, leave bags along the roadside. As a thank-you to volunteers, hot dogs, chips, and snacks will be available at the Town of Essex Public Works yard on Sand Hill Road from 11 am until 12:30 pm, or as long as supplies last.

Picking up trashHinesburg

Pick up bags up to 10 days early at the Town Hall or Carpenter Carse Library. The Town Hall will also be open from 8 am until 2 pm on Green Up Day. When picking up bags, sign up on the map where you plan to work. Leave full bags along the roadsides or bring them to the Town Garage next to CCSD Transfer Station on Green Up Day from 8 am until 3:30 pm. A community barbecue will be held at the Town Hall on Green Up Day from 12 pm until 1 pm.

Milton

Bags are available prior to Green Up Day at the Town Office. From 8 am until 12 pm on Green Up Day, bag distribution and sign-ups will be at Milton Rec Park on Middle Road. Bring filled bags to the town garage or leave them along the roadsides. Lunch including hot dogs, chips, and beverages will be provided at the park from 12 pm until 1 pm on Green Up Day. Pick up giant vegetable seed packets at the park. Also, there will be prizes for the most unique trash found on Green Up Day.

a roadway clean after Green Up Day

Middlebury

Green Up bags are available at the Town Clerk’s Office. The town will have trucks to pick up filled bags from 10 am until 3 pm on Green Up Day. Trucks will be at the parking lot by the town pool, the “new” park across from Twilight, and the Town Public Works building on Route 7. After cleaning up, head over to the Middlebury Food Co-op from 12 pm until 3 pm for a Green Up Fest. Enjoy free food, activities, and information!

Rutland

Pick up bags at Kinney Subaru, the City Office, the Town Office, or the transfer station. Drop off bags at Kinney Subaru or the transfer station. If you must leave bags along the roadside, call to leave a message with their location to facilitate pickup. Kinney Subaru will provide refreshments for all volunteers.

South Burlington

Pick up bags at City Hall on Dorset Street from the Wednesday prior up to Green Up Day. Drop off all trash at City Hall on Green Up Day from 8 am until 2 pm. City Hall will host exhibits, contests, and free food on Green Up Day. They encourage you to join in the celebration as a community!

South Hero

Bags are available at the South Hero Land Trust Office. You can sign up for your street or a group volunteer activity. Leave full bags on the roadside for collection. The annual thank-you barbecue will be held in the afternoon at the Folsom Education and Community Center.

St. Albans

Bags are available prior to Green Up Day at the City Clerk’s Office and the day of at 14th Star Brewery, Food City parking lot, Taylor Park, Barlow St. School, and Houghton Park. Leave full bags at intersections for pickup. At noon, ice cream will be provided for volunteers at Taylor Park, or at St. Paul’s Church in case of rain.

Taylor Park in St. Alban's clean after Green Up Day

St. Johnsbury

Green Up bags will be available at Saint J Subaru. Full bags can either be returned to Saint J Subaru or left along the roadside. Coffee, refreshments, and an appreciation barbecue will be provided for all volunteers.

Stowe

Starting at 8:00am on Green Up Day, meet at the Sunset Grille to pick up bags and enjoy refreshments. Full bags must be brought back to the Grill by 1:00 pm. You may notify the Highway Department about any items that are too large to transport.

Winooski

On Green Up Day, pick up bags, gloves, and safety information at the O’Brien Community Center on Malletts Bay Avenue between 9 am and 12 pm. City staff will help you pick out an area of need if you don’t already have one picked out. There will be a Myers Container receptacle in the community center parking lot to drop off full bags.

Let’s make this a successful Green Up Day and give our state the spring cleaning it deserves!

 

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