Waller Creek anti-litter exhibit: Flower Power - #ReduceReuseRespect

A young girl holding a flower created from recycled plastic bottles

Items illegally thrown on the ground have a significant, negative impact on Austin. Litter pollutes our natural and recreational areas, and the cleanup needed is expensive for taxpayers. Each year, City staff and volunteers pull 250 tons of trash from Lady Bird Lake (in addition to the 6,500 tons removed annually from Austin streets) – some of these discarded items were dropped directly into the river, but most trash washes in from creeks or through storm drains from land-based areas, such as streets, sidewalks, and parks.

SafePlace’s Expect Respect program, the City of Austin-Watershed Protection Department, and Austin citizens teamed up to promote the message that everyday acts of respect, no matter how small, are important in creating a clean, safe, and vibrant community. SafePlace organized workshops for community members and teen summer employment participants to create “flowers” out of a commonly littered item (used plastic bottles) and to discuss respect for people and places. Their exhibit, including hundreds of “flowers” lining a footbridge of the Waller Creek path, near 625 E. 10th Street, will be on display from September 4 through November, 2014.

Have you ever noticed how small, positive acts add up to great results? Come share your support by taking fun, colorful photos on-site and using #ReduceReuseRespect in Facebook and Twitter posts! Check out www.LetsCanItAustin.org for more Information on litter and cleanups.

 

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