Simply cleaning up trash in your neighborhood is a vital, and underrated, way to stop water pollution. Even a couple of people picking up litter, chatting and/or each jamming to their respective favorite playlists, can easily pick up a few trash bags’ worth of would-be water pollution in just a couple hours. Why wait for RE Sources or other non-profits to organize a big cleanup? Try doing one with a friend or family member!
We want to make doing your own litter cleanup in Bellingham and Whatcom County easy—if you can’t think of a place you regularly see lots of trash, use this map we made using crowdsourced data that other litter-cleaner-uppers helped provide! You can also use the Water Reporter app to submit a photo and location of trash (cleaned up or otherwise) to help improve this map.
We’ll send you this awesome waterproof sticker if you download Water Reporter here and show us your photos of trash or other pollution, so we can better monitor threats to water quality. Here are some safety tips to make your cleanup a success.
Most of the garbage in our oceans and waterways originates from land, so picking up garbage in our neighborhoods and cities not only helps the animals and plants living on land, but organisms in the water too. Thanks for doing a litter cleanup near Bellingham!
This product is funded through a Public Participation Grant from the Department of Ecology.
