Hot zones

I'll admit it, I'm pretty rabid about cleaning up. You can tell from the pictures that I rarely stick to a single piece of trash. If you want to do a little bit more, keep your eyes out for a well-defined hot zone. These are areas that collect trash - the edge of a fence in a windy area, a ditch on the side of a busy road, or maybe a sewer grate after it's rained. Seattle is a great location for the latter.

Carry a bag

In Seattle, they are outlawing plastic grocery bags. That doesn't seem to keep our kitchen from accumulating them. I can't bring myself to toss out a perfectly reusable bag, so I've taken to carrying a few in my pockets, my car, and my backpack. So, when I come across a spot with several pieces of trash,like this grass parking strip on Yale Avenue and its associated gutter, I can clean up the whole area and leave it looking a little bit better.

Before... and after!

Once my bag is full, I just drop it in the nearest bin. Job done!

What area would you pick to clean up? Keep your eyes open, and remember, when in doubt, just one piece is plenty!