Litters Busters Put Litter In Its Place: The Dumpster
WARSAW — Gather your friends, coworkers, service club members, church family or whoever, and visit KC Recycling Depot, 220 S. Union St., Warsaw, to pick up litter busting gear from now until May 14.
Shelly Heckert, director of KC Recycling Center, said, “We have been lending vests and bags for over 10 years. Last year we started calling it Litter Busters and had bandannas made and then started putting kits together.”
The kits include vests, bags and safety tips, such as what not to pick up. This year they also include water from Marsh and tokens for frozen custard at Culver’s.
Another new addition to the kit — seed bombs — was made possible with the involvement of Girl Scout Troop 00158.
“This project came around by Victoria Geiger, Cadette Scout in Troop 00158, and Shelly Heckert brainstorming about how to get the Scouts in Kosciusko County more involved with the recycling center,” said Jennifer Geiger, the troop leader of Troop 00158 and the mother of Victoria. “They came up with adding the seed bombs to the Litter Busters kits and having a special Girl Scout night for all Kosciusko County Scouts at the recycling center to make them.”
Victoria, 12, has been involved in Girl Scouts since first grade and felt strongly about participating in Litter Busters and making the seed bombs.
“I feel it’s important to make the world a better place than it is,” Victoria said, noting her excitement about using the seed bombs. “If the soil is firm and good, just plop a seed bomb and make life,” she explained.
The Girl Scouts while at the Depot received a tour, lesson and session of making seed bombs out of old newspaper and wildflower seeds.
“This is not only a fun recycled craft, but also a community service project by helping to add these seed bombs for the Litter Busters kits,” Geiger said.
She explained each scout level has a nature-themed legacy badge called “Naturalist” that they work toward.
“At the Cadette age, it’s trees; in the Junior level, it’s flowers; in the Brownie level, it’s bugs; and in the Daisy level, there is a flower garden journey,” Geiger said. “So each scout at their respective level not only earned a community service patch, they also worked toward their legacy patch.”
Several other groups are also on board to bust litter this year, with Heckert stating, “We have had quite a few sign up, which is great.”
In the past, Litter Busters have included lake associations, church groups, many singles or couples and just friends getting out. Since the campaign’s April 9 start, Paragon Medical, along with Pierceton Woods Academy, has collected litter, including an entire car bumper and more than 100 Frappuccino bottles, which had losing lottery tickets in them. Local Boy Scouts have also helped create additional seed bombs April 21.
“We want to grow it,” Heckert said, noting they are looking for ways to partner with more organizations to expand Litter Busters. “We try to make it fun.”
To join in the fun, pick up litter kits at the Depot. After picking up an area, Litter Busters can bring their filled trash bags to a dumpster located behind KC Recycling Depot.
For information, visit the Depot’s website at www.kcrecycling.com or call (574) 372-3087.