On April 23, 2023, around 50 ASEZ WAO volunteers joined forces with Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella and the City of New York Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to clean up Goethals Road. Volunteers took the lead on foot, walking a half-mile stretch with trash bags and grabbers in hand. They worked in unity to collect bottles, cans, food wrappers and other various debris. In total, volunteers collected 55 bags of trash.
Local residents drove by honking, waving and shouting cheers from their open windows. Borough President Fossella also expressed his gratitude for the cleanup on Goethals Road. He said, “A huge thank you to ASEZ WAO for joining us in Borough Hall’s continued effort to keep Staten Island clean. Many hands make light work, and this team of volunteers, along with the Borough Hall Litter Team, have taken the time to clean a stretch of the service road that desperately needed attention. We hope this act encourages all Staten Islanders to take pride in our home by not littering and keeping our streets clean.”
Campaigning for a Cleaner Future
ASEZ WAO volunteers set up educational panels displaying several of their environmental action campaigns. Highlighted were Campaign #6: Reduce Plastic Use and Campaign#7: Terrestrial Ecosystem Protection. By cleaning up litter, including unwanted plastics on both land and sea, water and food sources remain clean. For example, when plastic makes its way into water, it is broken down by solar waves and turned into microplastics. These microplastics are consumed by plankton, fish, and eventually humans. For this reason, ASEZ WAO acts right away, believing that every small action leads to a cleaner future.
ASEZ WAO members will continue to carry out their role as the salt and light in Staten Island. To view more ASEZ WAO activities in the state of New York, please click here.
