Fifteen new tree trunks have taken root on the corners of
Westwood neighborhood streets.
In an attempt to rid area sidewalks, streets, yards and parkways
of litter, the North Village Improvement Committee placed trash
cans designed as tree trunks on street corners throughout the
community near UCLA.
The Neighborhood Trash Bin Project, led by NVIC President
Shelley Taylor, already appears to be a success.
A couple of the trash bins have been emptied three times a day
because they were so full of trash that would otherwise have been
strewn on the sidewalks and streets, Taylor said.
“We’ve needed a program like this for years,”
Taylor said. “There has always been trash on the streets, but
no one stepped forward to do anything about it.”
NVIC received funds to purchase the tree trunk trash bins
through the Board of Public Works’ Neighborhood Matching
Funds Grant, which also helps to put on Operation Clean Sweep with
the UCLA fraternities every year. Of the $7,500 it cost for the
trash cans, $5,000 came from the Matching Funds Grant and $2,500
came from UCLA donations.
“UCLA is really trying to be a good neighbor to the North
Village,” Taylor said.
NVIC is matching the grant with UCLA fraternity volunteer time
devoted to installing and maintaining the trash bins. Every hour
that a fraternity member devotes to keeping up the trash bins
counts as $10 to match the grant.
“I’m pleased at how our students are helping
Shelley,” said Diana Brueggemann, executive director of Local
Government and Community Relations at UCLA, in response to the
fraternity aid.
“This trash can program is the first step toward a greater
quality of life in Westwood neighborhoods, and it’s nice to
know our students are involved,” Brueggemann added.
“Fraternity work with the trash cans does a good job at
showing how fraternities at UCLA help to keep Westwood somewhat
clean,” said first-year undeclared student Kevin Ikeda, a
member of the Sigma Nu fraternity.
But the work isn’t over now that the trash bins have been
installed. The NVIC’s new job is to find a way to maintain,
or empty, the cans.
Without money to maintain the tree trunk trash cans, Taylor is
asking residents and businesses (such as Moss & Co) to
“adopt” one or more of the cans by emptying them as
needed.
“Now it is up to the community to maintain these trash
bins and keep their neighborhoods clean,” Taylor said.
Despite the apparent success of the program, NVIC is already
running into problems. Just one week after their installment, six
of the 750 -pound trash bins were tipped over and rolled.
“It is sad to see that this is the reception that some
people are giving this gift to the community,” said Taylor,
who has just received another $1,000 from the UCLA Local Government
and Community Relations department to secure the trash bins to the
ground with cement.
Despite the vandalism, Taylor is optimistic about the future of
the Trash Bin Program. “If these really catch on, I would
like to expand it to more neighborhood corners,” she
said.