Trash Mob will take place in all four University Area Districts, students can look up their respective districts using UAC’s Solutions Map. Credit: Katie McDevitt
Tired of kicking cans and stepping over broken glass on the way home from class?
So is the University Area Commission.
On Oct. 8, the commission will host its first “trash mob” across all four districts in the university area where participants can volunteer to help clean up litter. Katie McDevitt, organizer of the event and a commissioner from the northeast part of the University District, said she is bringing the trash mobs she previously hosted in her own district after noticing an increasing amount of litter during her morning runs.
“I started doing it during the pandemic, and I’m a runner, so when you run you have the opportunity to observe everything,” McDevitt said. “And so you want to make it better for you.”
Eric East, a commissioner from the northwest portion, said trash mobs are important to make the community feel a little more like home with a lot less litter.
“It’s important to remember the community is renters, students, longtime residents, people on fixed income — it’s everyone,” East said. “It’s a neighborhood, and I think [seeing] litter is just one of those things that really breaks down people’s belief.”
McDevitt said while the goal of the trash mob is to have a cleaner university area, it also helps foster community while taking ownership of the place where people live.
“To me, ‘Trash Mob’ is a celebration,” McDevitt said. “The best way to meet your neighbors is to collaborate on doing something where you can see the before and after.”
The mob will take place from 10 a.m. to noon and all cleaning materials will be provided. Students wanting to participate just need to count how many bags of trash they collect and document their cleanup with before and after photos, according to the sign-up form.
McDevitt said she hopes people will use the map she created for the area commission, which details possible pedestrian safety and other improvements, to keep the community clean in the future.
“I would love for people, eventually, if we can report trash on that map and then people could adopt little spots, little pockets, whether that be the entrance to the Olentangy Trail, Hudson or wherever they see on campus that’s closest to them, that they could just clean up, take a before and after and document it on the map. Then we could just say this is what we did as a community,” McDevitt said.
Depending on where students live, they can sign up to participate in helping clean up one of the four districts.
Students can find their district using a commission map. Meeting places will differ from district to district, and can be found using the official flyers. Participants are encouraged to wear heavy shoes and long pants to ensure safety.
