We often encounter the vanguard of scientific exploration in unexpected places, with intrepid researchers holding a microscope to unexpected things. Many mysteries lurk at the frontier of the known universe, such as the existence of alien life, the species that inhabit the depths of our oceans, and exactly how many trash cans there are in Charlotte’s Historic West End.
UNC Charlotte senior Reniah Carroll launched her project to map waste bins in Charlotte's Historic West End. She’s a fellow with Sol Nation, a nonprofit that advocates for environmental justice in communities of color.
“Some of the business owners were putting in complaints about how much litter they're seeing, and that affects the economy as well,” Carroll said. “You think about curb appeal. No one really wants to stop at a place when there's a bunch of trash in the front.”
Carroll led 11 volunteers, armed with trash bags and litter grabbers. They paired off to clean the streets and photograph trash and recycling bins, also noting the state of each receptacle. She plans to compare the data to neighborhoods like Myers Park and South Park — more privileged communities that didn’t experience redlining or historic divestment.
“I like to call it environmental dignity,” Carroll said. “Nobody wants to live in a place where you go outside of your house and you see trash everywhere.”
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The goal is to add more bins and create a program to keep the streets free of litter. Eventually, Carroll would like to develop a program similar to the G.L.I.T.T.E.R. program in Portland, Oregon, which employs people experiencing homelessness to help pick up waste and recyclables.
Sol Nation ambassador Jada McGill sets off down Beatties Ford Road past the Food Lion.
“If people don't really see a problem with littering, and there's no immediate trash can, they're gonna throw it on the ground,” McGill said.
This is the first of many mapping days. Carroll plans to release a publicly available map in the next couple of months so anyone in Charlotte can participate. Sol Nation organizes monthly cleanups in the Historic West End.
