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Coordinators urged to use creative events and student PSAs to boost litter education and participation
Summary
Speakers showcased local engagement ideas'1like parades, trick-or-trunk events, bottle-art displays and games'and announced student PSA winners; organizers encouraged sharing materials and leveraging contests and conferences to amplify litter-prevention messages.
The webinar highlighted low-cost, high-engagement tactics that municipal coordinators and schools can use to increase participation in litter prevention and recycling campaigns.
Elise Baron, a Sayreville-based coordinator and educator, walked attendees through parade floats, trick-or-trunk setups, youth-led art projects and scavenger hunts that pair entertainment with education. "We all know how important it is to get the community involved, and they love the fun events," Baron said, and she provided examples from South Plainfield and Hillsborough where schools and local businesses partnered for large turnouts.
The program also announced winners of a single-use plastics PSA contest for grades 7—2; first-place winners receive $1,500 Amazon gift cards and the two top videos will be screened at the Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park in March 2025. Organizers said winning student videos are posted on LitterFreeNJ and urged coordinators to share reels and other downloadable assets on municipal social channels.
Why it matters: Community-facing, visually engaging activities can broaden volunteer participation and integrate litter education into celebrations and school projects, creating repeatable activities that support Sustainable Jersey actions and grant requirements.
Practical tips: Presenters recommended using reusable marketing kits (monthly litter calendar art), working with regional hubs, and submitting cleanup summaries that feed into grant reporting and certification points. Baron said volunteers and local art teachers can convert recycled bottles into public art displays that later serve as indoor exhibits at municipal offices.
Closing: Organizers encouraged attendees to register for the March 2025 Sustainable in Motion conference and to use shared asset toolkits to reduce the workload of local outreach.
