Volunteers collected trash during the Hunters Point Beautification Day on Sept. 25 in the Bayview District.
In July 2020, on his birthday, David Springer decided to begin picking up trash along the street after getting tired of seeing garbage during his regular commute.
“Honestly I just got tired of the trash, so I just started picking it up,” Springer said.
The event organically grew, and with the help of volunteer and caretaker organizations such as Together SF and Refuse Refuse SF, Springer said they now collect roughly double the amount of trash during these events.
He added, “By having a regular volunteer turnout, rather than one huge event but a lot of regular events, we’re seeing a general shift of habits and culture about people picking up after themselves and we’re noticing that there’s a lot less trash just sort of left around.”
Springer said he has no grandiose plans to grow, although he believes the small businesses and local organizations greatly appreciate the resources they provide.
“We are a part of a bigger city-wide network, which is great,” Springer said. “We plan to stay local, there’s enough work here for all of us, and the idea to turn this into a community thing and really make us a cohesive community.”
