NEW ORLEANS — Using a van and a flatbed trailer, the owner of a local plant nursery is volunteering to clean-up littered streets in New Orleans as the city continues to deal with the on-going trash crisis.
“I’ve just been this crazy guy driving around town picking up strangers' trash,” said Mark Sanders speaking with WWL-TV's Paul Dudley. “This is something I feel like I can do for the community.”
Sanders, who owns Ninth Ward Nursery, said he saw how neighborhoods were filling up with garbage and felt like he had the means to help so he posted a message on his company’s Facebook.
“And it was really basic. I said ‘send me a message if you want your trash picked up,’" Sanders said. “The response, as you could imagine, was pretty overwhelming and so I just made a long list and started driving around this morning and started picking up trash.”
Sanders was able to make 58 stops Monday, picking up what he could before hauling to the drop off site, all for free. The garbage he was picking up on Port Street in the Marigyn had been there for weeks and neighbors we spoke to say the word appreciation is an understatement.
“Just to have someone who runs a nursery who can help you out,” said neighbor Drew Goss. “I mean that trash has been here for since, wow, I can’t even remember. We haven’t had a pick-up since Ida obviously, but we had a hard time getting our trash picked up before.”
While neighbors are thrilled, Sanders says his work has been more gratifying than he could have ever imagined.
“You know just the feeling of doing it and knowing it’s a good thing, but also just strangers coming up and thanking me. I mean it’s just been a really positive experience,” Sanders said.
Now, Sanders just hopes when the job is done, people don’t forget about how important this work really is.
“I just hope after this crisis is over people can take that gratitude and that positive energy to our hoppers and sanitation workers in town.”
With plenty of trash still on the streets, Sanders says he is going to keep working until he is no longer needed. If you need trash picked up, reach out to Sanders on Ninth Ward Nursery Facebook page. They are only getting bags of trash and not cans. It is free but he can make a donation for gas, that is greatly appreciated.
Also -- Sanders has had the help of a few volunteers but is always looking for more help.