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This is a quick how-to guide to picking up trash in front of your home. It's really frustrating to walk out of your building and see trash. It makes you less happy to be living there, less inclined to go outside, and sends a message to your neighbors and people walking by that you don't care and neither should they.
People who make the small effort it takes to pick up trash often find that they've inspired their neighbors to do the same. And when a critical mass of people on your block keep the street clean, your block is lovelier and there's a sense of pride up and down the block. You're also more likely to get to know your friendlier neighbors because you'll be out on the street a bit more.
You may agree with all of that and still think, "but why in the world do I have to actually pick it up myself?" It sounds gross and like a total pain. But it's actually not if you follow my advice.
To do this Instructable, you need:
-A home
-A bag
-Napkins or tissue papers
-Access to trash and/or recycling cans
Picking up trash in front of your building is an item on the Neighbor's Checklist.
People who make the small effort it takes to pick up trash often find that they've inspired their neighbors to do the same. And when a critical mass of people on your block keep the street clean, your block is lovelier and there's a sense of pride up and down the block. You're also more likely to get to know your friendlier neighbors because you'll be out on the street a bit more.
You may agree with all of that and still think, "but why in the world do I have to actually pick it up myself?" It sounds gross and like a total pain. But it's actually not if you follow my advice.
To do this Instructable, you need:
-A home
-A bag
-Napkins or tissue papers
-Access to trash and/or recycling cans
Picking up trash in front of your building is an item on the Neighbor's Checklist.
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Most people don't like to handle trash with their hands. Like me. If you're one of them, I recommend carrying napkins or tissue in your purse or man bag. I always keep a supply, partly because I accumulate them without meaning to at various meals and partly because they come in really handy for all sorts of situations like when a bird craps on you, you fall and bleed, you get food on your clothes or when you visit a toilet-paperless bathroom.
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Don't pick up knives or needles with hands - use picker tongs (maybe make your own ) ad place them in a sharps-proof container (such as a bucket, metal can or one of those purpose-made sharps bins sometimes given out by pharmacies)
Try an experiment: scatter some screwed up paper around an otherwise empty bin and watch from a safe distance - I'd lay money that other people just throw their litter near the bin instead of into it.