Boris Weinstein... One Man's War on Litter

Transcript

When we think about environmental problems, it's easy to focus on the big ones like water quality and air pollution... yet we sometimes forget about the everyday issues, like litter in our neighborhoods. Here's a profile on one man's effort to clean the streets of Pittsburgh and set an example for all of us. The Allegheny Front's Scott Bliss has the story.

Bliss: Boris Weinstein is a spry 79 years old. He's wearing a T-shirt and has plastic grocery bags stuffed into the pockets of his baggy shorts. He's pulled on a pair of work gloves and he's holding one of those long handled grabbersÖ you know... the ones you use to reach for things. He's dressedÖ for picking up litter. Something he does two or three times a weekÖ every week... in his Pittsburgh neighborhood.

Weinstein: I want you to take a look... we're going to do this streetÖ we're going to turn up CopelandÖ but look how clean it already is... OK... that's what's so wonderful about it. Now some people would say... well if it's so clean why are you out picking up litter... well that's why it's so cleanÖ because I pick up litter...

Bliss: Boris believes that it's the willingness of the few... to go out and pick up the litter left by the many... that makes all the difference in keeping a neighborhood... or a community... or a city... clean.

Weinstein: There are thirteen thousand people that live in Shadyside... thirteen thousand people do not have to pick up someone else's litter... if I have two to three people ideally... in each of 17 zones that's like 55 to 60 people... we can... you can keep a community clean...

Bliss: Boris's passion for litter isn't newÖ in 2002 he outlined his original plan for a clean community in a manifesto he called Citizen's Against Litter. In 2005 he formed an organization of the same name and later a website to spearhead their efforts.

Weinstein: Citizen's Against Litter is the organization that I founded which is a voluntary organizationÖ we are not a 501c3... we have no funds... I believe that picking up litter is not about money... we don't need logo'd t-shirts, logoed hats... all we need is to bend and pick-up... that's it.

Bliss: And Boris does a lot of bending and picking up... spending between one and two hours at it each time he goes out. He's divided up all of the neighborhoods in the city into zones... just the size he estimates one person can handle. His personal zone is an area five blocks long by two blocks wide... which includes some of a business district as well.

Weinstein: Now look at thisÖ see... look... now someone would say that's private propertyÖ I know it's private property... but, no one's asking me to get off... these are lottery ticketsÖ a big contributor... also parking... parking lotÖ tags... boy this is never like this... this is very unusual... someone cleaned out their car.

Bliss: For Boris it all comes down to personal responsibility... something he often talks about. But, more than just his words... it's really all about something you can see... first hand... in his actions... in the effort he makes every week in his personal war against litter. For the Allegheny FrontÖ I'm Scott Bliss

CLOSE: Thanks to Matthew Wholey for suggesting this segment on Boris Weinstein. If you know someone you think we should profile... or a story you think we should be covering... please contact us.