Bylaws And Habits Reflected In Brewster's Trash

During Brewster's annual street "spring cleaning" 230 volunteers shredded more than 1,000 pounds of trash that over-wintered along 30 miles of roadside - and gathered a trash-snap of Brewster's use habits, from nip bottles to plastic bags.

What is Beautify Brewster?

Nips, cigarette butts, plastic bags and vape cartridges can tell stories about today's societies. The organizers of Beautify Brewster, the annual community spring clean, track the trash and spot patterns between local bylaws and the litter they collect. The sunny weather had more than 230 volunteers picked up over 1,000 pounds of trash and counted every last piece of plastics, cans and bottles. The data is kept by Brewster's Natural Resources Department and the Cape Cod Anti-Litter Coalition to share with organizations such as the Center for Coastal Studies, to collaborate with schools and libraries, and to educate corporations and the public on counter-littering.

Where do the litter come from?

Meg Morris, founder of the CCALC, explains that by tracking brand names they can understand where the litter comes from and target specific companies, such as Dunkin Donut and landscape companies. Letters go out, asking for help with reducing the litter by small means such as reminding the customers to throw the paper cup in a trash basket.

What is the nip ban?

The 2021 plastic bags ban is reflected in the data from Beautify Brewster. It is rare that you find a plastic bag, said Morris. She also pointed out that in the towns where a nip ban has come into effect, the reduction of nips littering the road sides has been dramatic. Watch the video to learn how the nip ban in Brewster affected this year litter-count.