Spring is finally here. And like many of you, I have spent much of my off time cleaning up the garden or cleaning out the house. What I’m left with is a big pile of stuff I don’t want and a big pile of sod in my yard that I don’t know what to do with! Thankfully there are 13 neighborhood cleanups scheduled throughout North Portland during the spring months. In past years I have volunteered at a few of these and they are really great. You can bring a truck load of stuff for a small fee (usually about $5)! If you’ve ever taken a load to the dump and paid by weight, you know how awesome only paying $5 is! Most of the events are around Earth Day which is April 22, 2012. Volunteers from Neighborhood Associations coordinate these events. So checkout your local neighborhood association website to see if they are having an event.

Long line of cars waiting their turn to dump their unwanted items or yard debris.

This year, 6 cleanups in North Portland will incorporate on-site reuse options, allowing neighbors to take, swap or buy items immediately. This allows one person’s trash to become another person’s treasure. Reusing items is better for the climate because the embodied energy, and associated carbon emissions, from the original production and transportation of that item is preserved rather than being lost through disposal or recycling. Pretty cool, huh?

Also Solv, a non-profit, will be at more than 200 parks, waterways and neighborhoods throughout Portland on Saturday April 21, 2012. Check out their site to register to volunteer for one near you this year! Go here to see the list of sites.