DETROIT – It’s hard to miss the pink Suzuki truck.
When Hannah Tizedes pulls up to a neighborhood, she means business, whether rain or shine.
There’s always so much focus on beach cleanups, but Tizedes also wants the Great Lakes and Detroit River to receive equal attention when it comes to litter removal. It’s partly why she started the Cleanup Club two years ago.
“Everybody gets a pair of gloves, and then everyone also gets a fun pink –- hot pink vest,” said the founder, who likes the idea of keeping the volunteer work fun.
A few times a month, Tizedes partners with businesses looking for a little TLC in their area.
“We’ve gone all the way up north to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. We go to Belle Isle in Detroit, and all around the Metro Detroit area, and then we go all the way down to Lake Erie,” she said.
On Sunday, Elephant & Co. said they could use some help in their Midtown Detroit neighborhood, which happened just before any litter could wash into the storm drains.
“It is very much these small things that make a bigger difference for a lot of people,” said Curtis Scabath, a volunteer.
There are the usual cigarette butts and food wrappers, but the team has found some weird items.
“I mean, in the city, you find things like dirty diapers and things like that,” Tizedes said.
Other times, she said, antiques from the early 1900s.
There are also microplastics, which need to be picked up before breaking down into smaller pieces in the environment.
Sometimes, Tizedes turns the trash into art. Whether in the dump or used in art design, her point is trash can have its place – just not in Mother Nature.
You can find more information about Cleanup Club events on their website.