Weekly cleanup condition
Litter study update: Weeks 5-7
Block 1
Block 1 is doing some strange things. I expected the number to hover around 200 or decrease, but since Week 4, it has been rising.
The uptick in weekly litter comes as a surprise, especially since I get help around this block.
On my weekly Wednesday cleanups, I see a landscaper taking care of the southeast corner property. Despite my disdain for leaf blowers, I appreciate how he cleans along the street gutter and maintains the property grounds.
Another guy who lives on the north side of the block said he picks up in front of his place about once a week.
Block 2
Block 2 had a significant amount of packing peanuts all over the sidewalk and in the gutter during Week 5. Not only did the number spike, it exceeded the estimated amount I thought it *might* spike to.
This is clearly an anomaly, but it’s also our reality. In hindsight, I wish that I counted these packing peanuts separately to know the “true” weekly litter number.
Instead, I had to wait to see if the number fell and I am happy to report that total litter was down to the 200-range during Weeks 6 and 7.
The numbers
Total litter for the two blocks over seven weeks varies by only 139 pieces, so these two blocks seem to be reasonably similar, in terms of littering behavior.
Variables
It was just Halloween, and I am seeing more candy wrappers now than in the cleanups leading up to trick-or-treating.
It’s the beginning of the month - perhaps the increase in Block 1 litter can be attributed to new tenants who smoke; the number of cigarette butts seems to have increased.
Looking ahead
Depending on the numbers collected this week (Week 8), I may make some tweaks to the cleanup frequencies on these blocks.