These folks took the Pledge NOT to Litter, and won prizes in our 2005 Take the Pledge contest! PRC worked with communities and businesses to get the message out – Don’t Be a Litterbug, Take the Pledge Not to Litter!

	The winner of PRC’s second Take the Pledge Contest, Julia Kriss, with the Litterbug at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Julia took the pledge at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, located in the South Side Works in Pittsburgh.
	Take the Pledge” winner Cheryl Bagley from the Pittsburgh area displays her new iPod mini. Cheryl took “The Pledge Not to Litter” at Palate Partners in the Strip District section of Pittsburgh and is seen here with Store Manager Mike Gonze.
	Take the Pledge” winner Sheila Cortez (left) of Havertown displays her new iPod mini. Sheila took the Pledge at the Springfield Mall in Delaware County. She is seen here with the mall’s General Manager, Marge Agnew.

Take the Pledge NOT to Litter is a year-round program to combat litter in your Community through public education and action. Its success requires support from the entire community. The program strives to modify public behavior and attitude in order to prevent littering. Phase 1 creates a "litter consciousness." Phase 2 asks community residents to help solve the problem by initiating community cleanups and educational programs, improving community recycling, and enforcing new or existing legislation to penalize litterbugs. Phase 3 assesses the program's effectiveness in terms of litter reduction and community action and commitment to modify the program where needed to achieve even better results.

It costs no money to "Take the Pledge." Educational materials are available in small quantity from the Litter Hotline, 888 LITTERBUG. The cost for larger quantities of educational materials for the program can be funded by contributions from individuals, businesses, government and foundations.

To implement Phases 1 of Take the Pledge NOT to Litter (Creating a Litter Consciousness):

• Aim for 100% community participation in getting people to -Take the Pledge. With the help of local media, religious institutions, school and community groups, remind community members that many have taken the Pledge and those who have not should.
• Encourage the support of the people who collect trash to "Take the Pledge" as a group. Encourage them to collect trash and recyclables without leaving any debris behind. Publicize the importance of what trash collectors do to keep the community clean and how well they do it.
• Ask community groups to "Take the Pledge" en masse. Take photos and send them to local papers.
• Ask merchants to display "Don't Be A Litterbug" signs inside store window and help fund the cost of educational material. (Limited quantities of "Don't Be A Litterbug" signs can be obtained from the Litter Hotline, 888-LITTERBUG)
• Set up tables at local markets, sporting events and wherever people meet. Ask them to sign a Pledge form.
• Invite elementary students and their parents to take the Pledge together.
• To make it easier for people to "Take the Pledge" ask your local newspaper to publish a Pledge form in their paper. Ask religious organizations and service groups who publish newsletters to do the same.

Phase II - Taking action to solve the community's litter problem

1. Use PRC's Lens on Litter Photo contest to identify the worst littered areas in the community, target them as among the first to be cleaned up.
2. Follow the directions in PRC's Litter Control in the Community: Blueprint for Action (available from the Litter Hotline) to organize an effective clean-up campaign, involving as many segments of the community as possible.
3. Utilize some of the people who have taken the Pledge to help with clean-up, Particularly service groups, scouts, sports teams, etc.
4. Arrange speaking engagements at schools and community meetings for those who can talk about the cost and dangers of litter-realtors, public health experts, firemen, policemen, etc.

Phase III- Have your litter task force evaluate the effectiveness of "Take the Pledge" by gathering the following information:

• Approximate how many people have taken the Pledge?
• Estimate how many people have participated in clean-ups.
• Is less litter visible on public streets and around public building?
• Revisit the areas identified as the worst that have been cleaned up. Are they still clean? If not, how much litter has reoccurred? What can be done to improve the situation?
• Was the media supportive? If not, could it have done more to help the program be more successful? What could it have done?
• Publicize the program evaluation. Decide on a follow-up plan. If needed restart Phase II.

Remember, litter affects the entire community. Fighting litter should involve the entire community.

YOU CAN HELP

• Don't Be a Litterbug
   
• Use a litterbag in your car
   
• Display the Pledge button and bumper sticker to remind others not to litter
   
• Support community cleanups, recycling programs, legislation and other efforts to reduce litter.
   
• Send a contribution - whatever you can spare - to help finance the program
   
• Hang the "Don't be a Litterbug" sign in your school and in government buildings
   
• When community events are scheduled, request there be adequate trash containers.
   
• Display the "Pledge" button and bumper sticker to remind others NOT to litter.
   
• JOIN the people who fight litter every day-the members of PRC, who dislike litter as much as you do and fight to stop it.