Mansfield Litter Index Relatively Steady

Results from Keep Mansfield Beautiful’s annual Litter Index show that, while Mansfield is making progress on litter, challenges remain. This year, the town earned an overall score of 1.87, which was slightly worse than last year’s score of 1.79.

Each March, volunteers from Keep Mansfield Beautiful conduct a town-wide survey of litter conditions. The Litter Index uses a 4-point scale to measure the degree of litter in each area measured. A score of 1 means “minimal or no litter, 2 indicates “slightly littered,” 3 represents “littered” and 4 means “extremely littered.” Only two areas scored a 4, including sections of School Street after Mansfield Crossing and Maple Street in East Mansfield. The on/off ramps from routes 95 and 495 were also highly littered, however, since these are beyond the control of the town they are not included in the official Litter Index results.
 
“This is our third annual litter index, and the amount of litter has remained relatively steady each year,” said Mike McCarthy of Keep Mansfield Beautiful, who managed this year’s Litter Index. “Overall, things are much cleaner now that we hold our annual Great American Cleanup of Mansfield, but it is discouraging to find that some people are still not taking care of their own trash.”
 
To remove the litter that can be found along roadsides, around the schools, and in town parks, Keep Mansfield Beautiful will host the 5th Annual Great American Cleanup of Mansfield on Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. A post-cleanup picnic with free pizza, hot dogs, and refreshments will follow from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Comcast Center VIP tent. At last April’s cleanup, more than 750 Mansfield volunteers donated approximately 2,000 hours of time with an estimated economic value of $43,000.
 
“While the town is certainly in better shape than it was before our first cleanup five years ago, a quick look out your car window shows that some people just aren’t getting the message that littering is unacceptable,” said Neil Rhein, executive director of Keep Mansfield Beautiful. “On the plus side, our efforts over the past five years have raised awareness about this issue and taught many young people to take pride in the appearance of their community.”
 
Several local businesses have given financial support for this year’s cleanup, including Mansfield Fabricare, L.L. Bean, Samsonsite Corporation, Smith & Nephew, Harbor One Credit Union, Bull’s-eye Environmental Communications, Barrow’s Insurance, Barbara Clark, Clemmey Corporation, Cheng Du Restaurant, Miller Recycling, Mansfield Eye Center, Mansfield Music & Arts Society, Mansfield Bank, North Easton Savings Bank, Mansfield Music & Arts Society, Mix It UP!, Mansfield Youth Flag Football, Mansfield Deli, Mulkern Mechanical, AAA Pest Control, Rolf C. Hagen, Hanna Paper Recycling, and the Garden Lady.
 
Mansfield’s cleanup event is part of a nationwide effort by Keep America Beautiful, the nation's largest community improvement program. Last year more than 3 million volunteers cleaned, beautified, and improved more than 33,000 communities in all 50 states. Activities included beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning seashores and waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter, planting trees and flowers, and conducting educational programs and litter-free events.

The deadline for registering for the Great American Cleanup of Mansfield is April 20. The first 500 people to register will receive free tee shirts. Volunteers can sign up at www.keepmansfieldbeautiful.com <http://www.keepmansfieldbeautiful.com/> .

Keep Mansfield Beautiful’s mission is to empower residents, businesses, and government to make Mansfield a greener, cleaner place to live, work, and play. Learn more at www.keepmansfieldbeautiful.com <http://www.keepmansfieldbeautiful.com/> .

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. Learn more at www.kab.org <http://www.kab.org/> .