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Some nice news to relate and some not-so-nice news to relate. Nice news first. Taken from a recent newsletter by Waste Today, a part of the Recycling Today organization, I found that last month the national community improvement nonprofit organization called "Keep America Beautiful" celebrated its 65th anniversary.
“It was founded when a group of corporate, civic and environmental leaders gathered to unite the public and private sectors to foster a national cleanliness ethic.
"Now, 65 years later, the scope and influence of Keep America Beautiful still touches millions of Americans every year in its effort to end littering, improve recycling and beautify America’s communities.”
Keep America Beautiful emerged around the time when the newly developed national highway system was experiencing significant littering by motorists. It was greatly assisted by the support of First Lady Bird Johnson, who was a leader in the Keep America Beautiful mission to clean up America’s highways and roadways.
A few years later, the Keep America Beautiful effort went from a public awareness campaign to a national community improvement system. Through it, city and town improvement organizations started to adopt the Keep America Beautiful message to reduce litter and help change citizens’ attitudes about solid waste. It is now in more than 600 communities across our nation.
Keep America Beautiful volunteers take part in cleanup, recycling and beautification programs that positively affect the quality of life where they live and work. Part of this effort is the Great American Cleanup program, that mobilizes more than 3.5 million volunteers and participants who take part in more than 20,000 hands-on projects targeted at areas of greatest need in communities large and small, urban and rural.
Back in 2017, this cleanup effort collected about 6.7 million pounds of litter and debris along more than 71,000 miles of roads, riverways and beaches. America Recycles Day, part of the Keep America Beautiful national effort, is the only nationally recognized day focused on recycling. Something we can all be proud of, especially if we participated in any of the efforts.
Now the not-so-nice news taken from the same newsletter. Did you know refuse and recyclable material collection remains the fifth deadliest job in the U.S., a position it has held since 2013, according to recently released data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?
In 2017, there were 32 onthe-job fatalities. Unfortunately, it is increasing rather than decreasing. Although all figures are not in for last year, at last count, preliminary data also indicates an increase in the number of worker fatalities in 2018, with nearly 50 solid waste employee fatalities recorded through Dec. 15, 2018.
Most of us have no idea that the workers picking up our trash and recyclables are putting their lives at such risk. In fact, solid waste collection has a higher workplace fatality rate than police officers or fire fighters. And with that many fatalities, you can just imagine how many, many more injuries are also experienced by them.
Till next week, do have a great one and when you have the opportunity, why not take time to thank the workers picking up your trash and recyclables as well as those working at the drop-off site. We're sure they will appreciate it.
--Ollie is a local citizen concerned with the environment and helping others. A retired Air Force fighter and instructor pilot, he is a graduate of Leadership San Marcos and received his degrees at Texas State University where he worked on staff before totally retiring. For questions or comments, he invites you to call him at 512-353-7432 or e-mail [email protected] .
