A Colorado woman has spent 23 days picking up 126 bags of trash across the country.
Having over a month off from her job at a campus recreation center, 24-year-old Stefani Shamrowicz decided to take a trip to help clean up the environment.
She’s now driven over 70 hours through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York—cleaning up everything from pee-filled bottles to lawn ornaments.
“About 80 per cent is drinking bottles and face masks have been pretty common,” said the Fort Collins local. “I’ve found a few fast-food toys and a tire with a pair of cowboy boots in it.”
Stefani said her aim isn’t to shame, but rather encourage people to do what they can.
“About 80 per cent is drinking bottles and face masks have been pretty common,” said the Fort Collins local. “I’ve found a few fast-food toys and a tire with a pair of cowboy boots in it.”
Stefani said her aim isn’t to shame, but rather encourage people to do what they can.
“When I post it’s never ‘this is disgusting or we’re awful,’ it’s ‘hey I’m cleaning up this city’ and keeping a positive light on it,” she said.
“I’m not going to be able to pick up everything, but if everyone starts picking up some on walks or runs, that’s where the magic is.”
Collecting anywhere from one to 16 bags at a time, Stefani’s been discouraged when she felt she wasn’t doing enough.
“There was a place that had an ocean of trash and I pushed out four bags, but then I broke down because I realized how much there was and it felt like four bags didn’t do anything,” she said.
But she remembers to just do what she can, especially since she surpassed her goal.
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