Love Manchester, Live Green

Learn about the Town’s latest sustainability initiatives and stay up-to-date on sustainability events happening both locally and virtually!

What is sustainability? “One of the simplest and most often cited definitions of sustainability refers to practices that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs... Many definitions also recognize three generally accepted pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social—also known informally as profits, planet, and people." -Town of Manchester Sustainability Task Force

You will notice many litter-related aspects to this webpage. To address litter is to support environmental conservation. The Town of Manchester recognizes that litter has become a growing issue in our public spaces and we are working on a multi-pronged approach to tackling this complex issue.

Learn about the Town’s latest sustainability initiatives and stay up-to-date on sustainability events happening both locally and virtually!

Adopt a Street for Earth Day 2026

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April 22 is Earth Day, but we are celebrating all month! Starting April 1 through the end of May, residents can sign up to adopt a road to pick up litter in their neighborhood. This is an opportunity to get outside, clean up your street, keep litter out of our waterways, and to give back to your community, but on your own schedule! Remember no one can do everything, but everyone can do something.
Starting on March 16, residents or groups can sign up to cleanup residential streets of their choosing. Start by filling in this form: you will need to know what streets you want to clean up, what dates you prefer, and how many people.
The Sanitation Division will give you colored bags to use for the cleanup. Once you finish the cleanup, bring the full, tied closed bags back to the Transfer Station for disposal.
Sign up here!

April 22 is Earth Day, but we are celebrating all month! Starting April 1 through the end of May, residents can sign up to adopt a road to pick up litter in their neighborhood. This is an opportunity to get outside, clean up your street, keep litter out of our waterways, and to give back to your community, but on your own schedule! Remember no one can do everything, but everyone can do something.
Starting on March 16, residents or groups can sign up to cleanup residential streets of their choosing. Start by filling in this form: you will need to know what streets you want to clean up, what dates you prefer, and how many people.
The Sanitation Division will give you colored bags to use for the cleanup. Once you finish the cleanup, bring the full, tied closed bags back to the Transfer Station for disposal.
Sign up here!
Team Building Opportunities in Manchester Parks

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Are you looking for a volunteer or team building opportunity for your business or employees? The Town of Manchester can facilitate a cleanup for your group in one of the local parks or on local streets. We provide gloves, litter pickers, buckets, bags, vests, and day of support. This is a great way for your team to spend some time outdoors getting to know each other better. Also, picking up litter in your community provides instant gratification of a job well done – you can see the difference made with the number of bags collected and the visibly cleaner area.
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Are you looking for a volunteer or team building opportunity for your business or employees? The Town of Manchester can facilitate a cleanup for your group in one of the local parks or on local streets. We provide gloves, litter pickers, buckets, bags, vests, and day of support. This is a great way for your team to spend some time outdoors getting to know each other better. Also, picking up litter in your community provides instant gratification of a job well done – you can see the difference made with the number of bags collected and the visibly cleaner area.
Reach out to Rebecca Fowler, the Recycling and Community Service Coordinator, to schedule your cleanup! rfowler@manchesterct.gov or 860-647-3120

Union Pond Park, Manchester CT
What is litter?

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Litter is defined as improperly managed waste, be it intentionally or unintentionally. The top 10 pieces of litter found along the Long Island Sound in 2022 were…
Litter is defined as improperly managed waste, be it intentionally or unintentionally. The top 10 pieces of litter found along the Long Island Sound in 2022 were…
Where does litter go?

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Most types of litter take years, and even centuries, to break down. Litter can have serious consequences for our environment and health. Strong winds and heavy rains can also transport the litter to nearby bodies of water, where they become harmful to aquatic life. Did you know that all rivers and streams in Connecticut lead to the Long Island Sound?

Image Credit: Long Island Sound Study

Most types of litter take years, and even centuries, to break down. Litter can have serious consequences for our environment and health. Strong winds and heavy rains can also transport the litter to nearby bodies of water, where they become harmful to aquatic life. Did you know that all rivers and streams in Connecticut lead to the Long Island Sound?

Image Credit: Long Island Sound Study
What's the harm in litter?

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Not only is litter an eye-sore, but it can be harmful, too.

Materials like glass and metal can be sharp and result in injury when stepped on.

Metals break down over time, leaching into our soils, groundwater, and streams.

Plastic items can fragment into smaller pieces of plastic, known as microplastics, which can contaminate our drinking water and be mistaken by wildlife for food.

Various types of litter may also cause tangling, choking, and/or trapping hazards to wildlife.
Not only is litter an eye-sore, but it can be harmful, too.

Materials like glass and metal can be sharp and result in injury when stepped on.

Metals break down over time, leaching into our soils, groundwater, and streams.

Plastic items can fragment into smaller pieces of plastic, known as microplastics, which can contaminate our drinking water and be mistaken by wildlife for food.

Various types of litter may also cause tangling, choking, and/or trapping hazards to wildlife.