Charlton takes roadside trash seriously. Every year on the last Saturday in April, more than 100 residents of all ages register for the Charlton Earth Day Roadside Clean Up. Their efforts yield big results. In 2026, residents filled a bin, supplied by Casella Waste Management, with 2.13 tons of trash and cleaned more than 75 percent of the local roads. 

The bulk of the trash included water bottles, soda cans, lottery tickets, coffee cups, cannabis containers, empty cigarette packs, food wrappers, and various other waste items. But of major concern was the enormous amount of nip bottles that were collected. 

This past April the Earth Day Planning Group, in collaboration with the Keep Charlton Beautiful committee, decided to tackle the problem in earnest. Spearheaded by local resident Susan Chanel, the committees asked volunteers to separate nip bottles and alcohol containers from other roadside trash. Volunteers received clear plastic bags, courtesy of the Keep Charlton Beautiful Committee, as a way to highlight the depth of the problem. The Earth Day Planning Group distributed pickers, gloves, and sturdy trash bags for other roadside trash. A grant from The Last Green Valley helped to cover the cost of some supplies. 

While everyone who registered to clean a road was not aware of this new campaign, the results were astounding - an estimated 5,000 nip containers and approximately 10 bags of liquor bottles were collected. Photos were sent to local legislators, urging them to support an expansion of the Bottle Bill, specifically to include a deposit and return on nip bottles.

When Terek Mroczkowski, owner of Ted’s Package Store, learned of our initiative, he offered his support by installing bins at the four liquor retailers in Charlton where empty nip bottles may be discarded. Every time a bin is filled at Ted’s, they will make a monetary donation to the Keep Charlton Beautiful Committee. These funds will help continue efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle to support Earth Day. 

We are grateful for the generosity of the Mroczkowski family and the time commitment of our volunteer citizens. But litter still remains a costly problem. We appreciate those businesses that provide trash receptacles for items purchased at their storefronts and encourage people to use them. By working together, we can help to Keep Charlton Beautiful and take care of Mother Earth. 

This article was submitted by Keep Charlton Beautiful and the Earth Day Planning Group.