Urban detrashing tips

Urban cleanups

Your first litter pick up

Start small with an old grocery bag or a bucket. If you have gloves that’s great — if not, kitchen tongs work well.

What to go for, and why

• Plastics — they break down into microplastics, enter waterways/food chains, and can choke pets. Picking up large plastics early prevents them being shredded into many small pieces.
• Glass shards — keep them out of shoes and away from pets; pack shards in a thick container or use other trash as a buffer so they don’t tear bags.
• Rusty metal — to reduce tetanus risk.
• Sharp metal (nails, wire) — prevents popped tires.
• Food containers / cups — coatings often prevent biodegradation.
• Glass bottles — easier to clean up before they’re broken.
• Soda cans — satisfying and easy to pick up.
• Covid masks — they break down slowly; pick them up when possible.
• Garbage blocking drains — can cause localized flooding.
• Cigarette butts — they leach chemicals; I sometimes pick up a subset because they are numerous.

Items I pick up less

• Tissues / napkins — break down quickly and add weight.
• Cardboard — usually degrades quickly.
• Clothes — heavy and often will break down.

Rare items

• Needles — rare; if found keep them in a glass-safe container for disposal.
• Larger bulky items I generally leave unless in a group with dedicated pickup.

Where the litter is / isn’t

High litter areas

• Schools
• Abandoned businesses
• Bus stops
• Construction areas

Low litter areas

• Single-family residential away from arterials
• Active businesses
• Certain well-maintained parks

Safety tips

• When cleaning roadsides, face traffic so you can see vehicles.
• Brush items into the curb before picking them up; watch for parked cars that may move.
• Wear gloves and/or use grabbers/tongs.
• Stay off private property.
• If someone is camping/sleeping, don’t disturb them.

Special case: Seattle

• Seattle’s Adopt-a-Street program supplies heavy trash bags, gloves, grabbers, high-visibility vests, and will collect bags left at city trash cans.
• Report large dumping sites with Seattle’s “Find It, Fix It” app.

Related: Graffiti / Stickers

Priorities: remove hate speech and anything affecting safety (e.g., obscured traffic signs) first; directional or cosmetic stickers are lower priority.

My kit: household cleaners and simple tools. Options I’ve used include: glass scraper / razor blade, soap & water, multi-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, isopropyl alcohol, mineral spirits, magic eraser, scraper/putty knife, rags, scrub brushes, old toothbrushes.

Approach:

• Start with the least-damaging method (soapy water, scrubbing) and escalate only if needed.
• Use a glass scraper carefully (shallow angle, slicing motion) and wear gloves.
• Test in a small corner before aggressive cleaning; avoid damaging reflective surfaces on traffic signs.