Worcester Green Corps Tackles Litter, Recycling Confusion, and Dog Waste with Community Action

By Hank Stolz | Radio Worcester

Photo-Worcester Green Corps

WORCESTER, MASS.- On this edition of the Voice of Business Amelia Tieri. Worcester Green Corps Coordinator fills Hank in on what’s happening with the Worcester Green Corps. The Worcester Green Corps is actively engaged in cleaning up litter and conducting recycling audits in various neighborhoods around Worcester. Amelia speaks with Hank about how they help educate the public on proper recycling practices, as improper “wish cycling” can contaminate the recycling stream. “So, the industry term for that is wish cycling. And that is when somebody has the good intentions to recycle something like a greasy pizza box, like a candy wrapper for instance, and they put it in their recycling and it actually contaminates the recycling and the people picking it up can’t take it.” Hank said an issue he is seeing this summer is the amount of dog poop that is on the sidewalks. Amelia agreed it can be a problem, “People are leaving their dog poop around a whole lot more in storm drains on the streets, and it is becoming a problem. And what I would say for people, if they see a lot of dog poop, is to report it to 3 1 1, and they will come and take care of that for you.” The Worcester Green Corps is planning upcoming volunteer events that the public can participate in, and encourages people to stay informed through their website and social media channels.