Traveling Trash Bash Brings Earth-Friendly Message

A group of dedicated volunteers help teach young people about the importance of recycling.

The Pickens County Beautification and Environmental Advisory committee recently spoke to County Council about their efforts to teach young people to help protect the environment. 

The committee has taken a more active role, Gina McLellan told county members.

Committee members “don't know what advisory means,” she said.

The committee is in charge of the Traveling Trash Bash, which has been going on for 12 years, McLellan said.

For the first two years, the Traveling Trash Bash was held in a central location, she said.

“For the last 10 years, we've gone into every elementary school in Pickens County every year, in order to reach more people with message about protecting the environment,” McLellan said.

The overall goal is to teach environmental concepts (recycling, composting, water conservation, litter control, beautification, and storm water pollution). 

The volunteer group has been presenting this educational, fun-filled program for the past 12 years.  The 3rd grade students at each school move in small groups through the 6 different stations prior to a group assembly to wrap up the fun and learning.

McLellan said the Trash Bash is reaching about 1,200 students in schools each year.

Each student gets a T-shirt and a ‘take home packet’ with educational information as well as fun activities to be shared with family. Scores from pre-tests and post-tests are compared to determine improvement.  The goal is to encourage wise use of our natural resources.

That at-home portion allows the message to reach even more people.

“We think that we're reaching closer to 5,000 each year, just by sending those home,” McLellan said.

The packets challenge students to start some kind of environmental project at home.

“We have someone at home verify that and they bring it back to their teachers,” McLellan said. “Each class that has 100 percent participation gets an ice cream party from us.”

Committee members thanked county officials for their support.

“We are all volunteers,” McLellan said. “If you hadn't given us the kind of support that you have, we would not been able to accomplish what we've been able to accomplish.”

The county recently provided the committee with a new trailer.

The Traveling Trash Bash consists of a lot of equipment, McLellan said.

“It takes a lot of space to haul all of that,” she said.

The trailer has made a big difference.

“It works great and it gets the kids all excited when we pull in,” McLellan said.

County Council Chairman Neil Smith said he recently watched a grandmother and a grandson at a local recycling center.

“The third grader got out and I heard him tell her that they were going to have to recycle and all of the things that they were going to do,” Smith said. “Without your volunteers and the time and effort you put it, we wouldn't be getting the results that we're getting.”