How Do You Encourage Neighbors Not To Litter?

The improper disposal of garbage is no small issue in Ditmas Park–passersby do it on the street, schools apparently do it, and folks have even put in the effort to find the perfect place for their trash (just not in a designated receptacle). But if it’s not immediately stoppable on a large scale, can it be managed on more of a micro-level?

The question of the week this time around comes from me. I live in a building with several dozen units that has never sparkled as long as I can remember, but has recently gotten much worse. With what seems like the disappearance of our superintendent, trash is building up–and it also seems like the more garbage is in halls and stairwells, the more residents are disinclined to dispose of their trash properly.

This and other issues are the basis of a tenant meeting scheduled for next week, and I would love to hear from readers who have successfully tackled similar problems in their buildings or on their blocks about possible solutions that start with tenants/neighbors. There’s no question we need a superintendent who maintains sanitary conditions, but have you found littering to be a cyclical problem–i.e., if neighbors can’t take pride in a clean block or home, are they more likely to give up and contribute to the litter? Has the addition of more receptacles to a building or block improved things? Have you noticed that after cleaning your building or block, neighbors took more care of the space and stopped littering?

If you have any ideas or proven solutions, they’d be greatly appreciated.