Keep Martin Beautiful: Going Strong at 30!

Happy New Year to you and happy 30th anniversary to Keep Martin Beautiful. Since 1994, our mission-driven nonprofit has been working with civic and school groups, government agencies, environmental organization, businesses, families and individuals to improve our neighborhoods, remove litter and debris from our streets, parks, beaches and waterways, and develop a deeper connection to and respect for our natural environment.

Our organization thrives thanks to thousands of volunteers who join in community improvement efforts. They enhance neighborhoods each spring during the Great American Cleanup, clean up beaches and waterways in the fall during the International Coastal Cleanup, and regularly remove litter through our Adopt-a-Road program.   

While their work might go unnoticed, their dedication results in a cleaner, safer, more beautiful Martin County. And it’s not just litter prevention and removal. It’s also their passionate dedication to proper recycling, upcycling, living with a smaller carbon footprint and more.

As we begin our year of celebration, we invite you to become more involved in Keep Martin Beautiful activities. But first, how about taking an old-fashioned quiz where the answer key can be found upside down at the end of this article! Let’s see how much you already know about litter and recycling.

If you don’t know whether an item is recyclable, it’s better to put it in the recycling bin:

True

False      

 

Which of the following items are not recyclable in your curbside bin?

A.   Plastic bottles

B.   Mail

C.   Plastic bags and wrap      

D.   All of the above

E.   None of the above

 

How many years does it take for an aluminum can to fully decompose in a landfill?

A.   50

B.   100

C.   500

  

4. How long before a used aluminum has gone through the recycling process and is back on the shelves?

A.    60 days

B.    4 months

C.    1 year

 

5. Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for how long?

A.   4 minutes

B.   4 hours

C.   4 days       

 

6. How many times can a glass bottle be recycled?

A.    5 times

B.    20 times   

C.    Indefinitely

 

7. Along with plastic grocery bags, which of the following can be recycled at retailers with plastic recycling bins?

A.   Bags from dry cleaning

B.   Bags from bread

C.   Bags from newspapers

D.   All of the above    

E.   None of the above

 

8. How many pounds of waste does the average American generate in a day?

A. Between 1 and 2   

B. Between 4 and 5

C. Between 10 and 11

 

Interested in learning more and joining the corps of volunteers who keep Martin beautiful? Visit our website and make Keep Martin Beautiful a part of your new year.