Silver City Watershed Keepers continues to protect local waters through its Pick It Up – Toss No Más initiative and advocacy at our state capitol.
2024 was a banner year for the Pick It Up – Toss No Mas program, which continued to have a huge impact in the Silver City watershed. During this calendar year, the program hosted ten monthly clean-up events. We also supported the clean-up efforts of groups like Fight Like A Girl , San Vicente Consortium, Trails and Open Space Advisory Committee, and Aldo Leopold student groups who worked on additional days. Our volunteers gave 648 hours of their valuable time and cleaned a staggering 9,344 lbs of litter and debris out of our community.
Keeping our community clean saves taxpayer money and promotes healthier living conditions. Did you know that litter accumulation in our community can decrease property values by 7% and tourism revenue by 39%? Keeping Silver City clean and beautiful puts more money into local taxpayers’ pockets. Using Independent Sector’s calculated value of a volunteer-hour, our 2024 volunteers also saved the town of Silver City and the Department of Transportation $14,500 in wages, allowing them to focus more money and time on critical infrastructure and road repair projects. Litter and piles of debris don’t just cause a financial strain. Then can attract pests and be a vector for infectious illnesses. Solid waste can clog culverts and piping, creating dangerous flash floods and sanitary sewer overflows. It’s unfortunate that litter accumulates month after month, but it’s so important to continue our volunteer cleanup efforts and keep Silver City clean and beautiful.
We are so grateful for the individuals, teams, and organizations that work to keep our community litter-free. In addition to the financial and health benefits they provide for our community, our volunteers also enjoy building social connections, build a sense of pride in our City, enjoy spending time outdoors, and see themselves as positive role models.
Because of the financial, health, and environmental repercussions of litter, organizations across the state have joined forces to create the Breaking Bad Habits campaign. As part of the Breaking Bad Habits Advocacy Day at the Capitol, we were able to share success stories and challenges with fellow anti-litter and stream protection groups from across the state. We advocated for the needs of Silver City residents and small businesses. As part of SB225, we are hoping to increase funding for highway cleanups, park beautification events, student groups, code enforcement, and solid waste infrastructure in Silver City. HB392 will create a state-wide ban on single-use plastic bags, mirroring Silver City’s 2015 Ordinance, and increase support for reusable and biodegradable packaging across the state. If passed, we will advocate for state funding to come to Silver City!
In 2025, we are continuing to host monthly themed community cleanup events that connect our community to global efforts, ask local businesses to take our Business Pledge to keep their property clean of litter, and recruit more local clubs and groups to participate in our cleanup events. We’ll also be producing new videos about how to properly dispose of unusual and hazardous waste, as well as the dangers of flushing inappropriate items and disposing of waste materials in our waterways. If you want more updates about this program, visit the Pick It Up – Toss No Más website and sign up for the e-newsletter!
