by Liz Daube
Staff Writer
Jacksonville isn’t that dirty compared to some other cities, according to the City’s Clean It Up, Green It Up division – but with items like tires, toilet lids and porta-potties turning up in local rivers, they say the city could stand some sprucing up.
Clean It Up, Green It Up is currently a two-person division of Jacksonville’s Environmental Resource Management Department. Chief John Shellhorn and administrative aide Vivian Harrell organize volunteer programs and educate the local community about environmental topics like litter reduction and recycling.
The litter problem in Jacksonville has improved since the Clean It Up, Green it Up division formed in 1997, according to Shellhorn. He said volunteers have helped, but the solution lies in prevention through education.
“What we like to do is change attitudes,” said Shellhorn. He explained that most people litter because they assume the City has the resources to pick it up.
“But it’s a hazard and it’s just people not thinking,” he added. “And it costs the City a lot of money ... and it’s still not enough.”
In addition to volunteer efforts, Shellhorn explained that the City’s Solid Waste Department spends money on man–hours and contractors to clean up roadsides and waterside areas. The Florida Department of Transportation also pays to clean up along state highways like 9A.
Shellhorn said many litterers don’t realize the harm caused by their actions. Environmental awareness programs were particularly active in the 1990s, but Shellhorn said their work is far from done – and some programs, like the statewide Keep Florida Beautiful, have dissolved in recent years.
“There’s the broken window theory that you start with little things, like litter or a broken window,” he said, adding that Sheriff John Rutherford often mentions the same theory when explaining the rise of crime in a neighborhood. “But it (becomes) a culture of ‘Oh, well it’s okay to do that.’”
In addition to upsetting the pride and morale of an area, Shellhorn said litter can contaminate soil and water and kill wildlife. Cigarette butts, for example, are often considered eyesores – but nothing more.
“On average, people go, ‘They’ll deteriorate.’ But it takes like seven years for that to happen,” he said. (The Surfrider Foundation estimates that cigarette butts take 2-25 years to decompose.) “When it rains, they get swept into sewers and then into rivers. It (the problem) is not one cigarette butt, it’s the thousands of cigarette butts that go out there.”
Shellhorn said the cigarette butts leak toxic chemicals into the environment. Thinking they’re fish, birds often eat the small pieces and subsequently get sick or die. (Shellhorn said some dead birds found recently were examined. “They opened them up, and their stomachs were just filled with cigarette butts,” he said.)
“A lot of people say, ‘We need more clean-up crews.’ But is that the answer?” said Shellhorn. “Unfortunately, that fosters a sense of entitlement.
“Last year was an excellent year, and part of it was the Super Bowl,” Shellhorn continued. He said almost 1,000 people volunteered to pick up trash at the annual St. Johns River Celebration. “But they’re showing up to pick up things that other people should have thrown out in the first place.”
Clean It Up, Green It Up is trying to create environment-friendly habits in elementary-age children with informational DVDs and coloring books. Shellhorn said they work with the Teacher’s Supply Depot and local parent-teacher associations to get the materials in classrooms. Eventually, Shellhorn said he wants to organize some Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test preparation tools with an environmental focus so teachers will find them easier to fit into their lesson plans.
“We’ve focused on the little kids because that’s where we make the most impact,” said Shellhorn. “They’ll embarrass their parents and friends into doing it, too.”
Shellhorn said most people have formed their habits and opinions by the time they reach their teenage years. Without someone close to them to convince them, people don’t often change, he said.
For example, when seat belts became mandatory in Florida a few years ago, Shellhorn said his kids kept reminding him to buckle up until the practice became normal for him.
Law enforcement is another way to reach those who litter most, Shellhorn said. He explained that studies have shown males age 17-26 most frequently toss trash on the ground or dump large items, like broken dryers or tires, in the woods or water. A littering citation starts at $50, and Shellhorn said improper disposal of large items can carry severe punishments.
Clean It Up, Green It Up assists frequent neighborhood litter pick-ups, too. Harrell said blighted communities often use the program to bring neighbors together and start creating change.
“When you start and finish on the same day, you can see that difference,” said Shellhorn. “You can use that as a starting point for neighborhood participation.”
One of the Clean It Up, Green It Up division’s biggest community clean-up promotions is coming up.
Shellhorn and Harrell will bring together a network of Jacksonville volunteers to take part in the annual International Coastal Cleanup day Sept. 16.