On March 21, Wake County Solid Waste Management and volunteers from the community joined forces to combat roadside litter on Rogers Lane in Raleigh during the Greatest American Cleanup event. The cleanup, hosted in partnership with Keep America Beautiful, was one of 20 coordinated by organizations across North Carolina. Among the Wake County volunteers was Gus Vandermeeren, also known as "Gus the Garbage Guy."
Gus, who has lived in Wake County for nearly a decade and says he's been an environmentalist almost his entire life, said he started his personal mission to remove roadside litter six years ago.
“In January 2020, I was watching TV early one Saturday morning and saw an ad about trash in the ocean," Gus said. "Earlier that day I had seen some litter in my neighborhood, so the ad inspired me to pick up a Walmart bag and walk around my neighborhood. The next week, I did the same thing, but with a larger bag. From there it just kept snowballing until going out daily became my hobby and obsession."
Gus says some of the most interesting things he's found while removing litter over the last six years include:
- Six working guns, including an assault rifle
- An ATM in the woods
- A three-foot-tall, anatomically correct rubber penis
- A $100 bill and a $50 bill on the same day, a half-mile apart
- A small, unmarked cemetery
- A copperhead coiled up in the back of his van
- A living frog in his washing machine that had been wrapped in a large pile of clothes from an abandoned homeless site (it had survived the wash cycle)
Gus believes the majority of litter comes from "good people being careless" with what they throw in the bed of their pickup or trailer. A Styrofoam cup or unsecured trash bag tossed into the truck will undoubtedly fly out when going 60 mph. He also points out that litter washed into a road's storm drain will most likely end up in an ocean, regardless of where in the U.S. you live. This is why it is important to secure loads during travel.
Over the years, Gus has organized anti-litter events via Meetup with a group called the Pickup Posse. He said one major challenge has been getting people to focus on the bigger trash. He realizes that while leading a group, they sometimes progress slower than he normally would alone because people sometimes try to pick up every tiny piece of trash left in the environment, like cigarette butts. He said the focus should be to "make things better, but we can’t make it perfect." However, he honors the contributions of everyone who gives their time and energy to volunteer, rather than leaving the removal of litter to the government.
In a blog post he shared, Gus says he rephrases a famous quote by President John F. Kennedy to "Ask not what your government can do for you, but what you can do for your world.” When asked what motivates him to keep doing the work to remove litter, Gus said knowing he's making an impact and making the world more beautiful and safer.
"Sometimes, on a beautiful, sunny day, with blue skies and green things growing all around, surrounded by hardworking, generous, selfless, wonderful people, I become aware of the wind and sun on my face, I hear the sounds of my team working, and I feel happy to be alive and able to do this thing," Gus said. "At moments like that, I feel connected to the world, to nature, to my fellow humans, to the universe. Sometimes the feeling is so strong, it almost brings tears to my eyes."
He said it's rewarding to know he's made the world a tiny bit better and hopes that by being visible with the word "volunteer" on his shirt, he gives other people some hope and joy. From what he's seen and heard, he knows the streets are cleaner than when he started and he's inspiring other people to do something in their communities.
Wake County staff and leadership also honor volunteers like Gus who are making an impact on the county's environmental health.
"People who are passionate about dedicating their time to help improve our county are what make Wake County great," said Wake County Commissioner Cheryl Stallings. "We are so appreciative of our residents who step up to take on the responsibility of beautifying our roads."
Wake County offers free litter kits for anyone who wants to organize a litter cleanup. Anyone with questions about anti-litter campaigns can contact Environmental Education Program Coordinator chelsea.arey@wake.gov.
