A Mission to Inspire: Reconsidering Litter with Chad Livsey
Chad adopted a road in his hometown over four years ago, and since then his movement has grown to include an entire city. He’s one of many people across Georgia joining us in our campaign to #reconsiderlitter. Read on to discover how you can make a difference in your own community.
Photo by Taylor Schwensohn
You're rather famous in Gwinnett County for your litter abatement initiatives. Can you tell us a little more about The Chad Livsey Project?
For me, it’s a mission to beautify underserved areas and show people that we care about them, their families, and their neighborhoods. It almost feels like a sense of hopelessness when you see the same spots being littered over and over again. Several years ago, I noticed how much the place where I’m from, the Promised Land, was getting trashed with litter. Something clicked in me, and I’ve been cleaning it up ever since. Somebody has to step up. My grandfather actually used to do the same thing years ago, and he was a big source of inspiration for me. I asked him for advice and ended up meeting with Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (a local affiliate of KGBF) and adopting my first street. After that, I realized I didn’t have to stop at just one street, so I cleaned up the next street, and the next. I just never really stopped. It’s a mission to inspire: The Chad Livsey project started with me, but the town of Snellville, with the help of Dave Emanuel, Mayor pro tem, created a Snellville Clean & Proud campaign to get more neighbors involved. Now we have people all over town cleaning up: Glori Hunter in Loganville, Laura Hernandez from Gwinnett Recycles, we’re all just teaming up and taking care of litter one street at a time and showing other people that live here that we can do better for each other.
Why do you think it's important for people to #reconsiderlitter?
I love the campaign, and for me, there are three main reasons to #reconsiderlitter. The first is our planet. We all share it and we should all think about what litter actually does. If you throw a cup out of the window, it will get into the waterways, which not only affects the environment, but newborns and new mothers, if plastic gets into their systems. Second, consider the elderly, and the legacy of our communities. My family has a long history in Gwinnett County. We’re one of the oldest black families in the area and have been here for over 100 years. I don’t just pick up litter for me, but for the Livsey name. I do it for my grandfather, who has limited movement, and for other people who want to help but aren’t physically able. Third, and most importantly, it’s crucial for our youth. I have kids, and I want a better place for them. Basically, we’re all together on this planet. Let’s think about other people.
Gwinnett County residents coming together to clean their community
Have you always been passionate about the environment?
Yes, I grew up watching Captain Planet, and I’m an artist too, so I have an appreciation for nature. I’m always looking at trees and leaves and being inspired by colors. What I learned on the show still affects me. We all have to be superheroes in our own towns, then we can come together and be even stronger for it. I’ve always cared about my surroundings, and I’m just trying to go full steam and better our environment.
What guidance would you give other residents interested in taking a hands-on approach to cleaning up their neighborhoods?
I love this question, because I’ve always felt it’s important to connect with other people that have cared about this for a long time. Tap into nonprofits in your area. I started by connecting with Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, and now I’m going to places like Keep Newnan Beautiful, and of course, the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation is an established nonprofit. Try your local government too. I reached out to the city of Snellville and they listened. They wanted help and feedback. They may not have the resources to handle all of the litter on their own. It’s a major issue. Just make connections. There are people out there who really want to help.
What is one thing everyone can do to make his or her community cleaner, greener, or more beautiful?
I think we should shift our mindsets to one of love and support. We’re all in this together. Cleaning up our neighborhoods is a noble thing, and to me, it’s something that all leaders should do. It’s easy to break it down: just start by cleaning up around your own mailbox. A lot of times that can solve a lot of litter problems. I walk the streets, and around each mailbox, there can be a collection of trash. Anything you can do, on any level you can, can really help.
If you’d like to learn more about volunteer opportunities in your own community, join the Come Clean Gwinnett group on Facebook, or browse our list of local affiliates across the state. We also invite you to sign our #reconsiderlitter pledge!