Waterbury, Duxbury details for Green Up Day, May 2

April 15, 2026  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

Green Up 2026 poster art by Olivia M., a 10th grader at Blue Mountain Union High School. Art courtesy of Green Up Vermont

Organizers around the state are preparing for the spring Vermont tradition of Green Up Day, held each year on the first Saturday in May. 

This year, Green Up Day falls on May 2, when volunteers will take to the roadsides, parks, stream banks and other public spaces to collect trash and spruce up their communities. 

Green Up Day began in 1970 as a clean-up effort along Vermont’s interstate highways. It led to the “bottle bill” that created a deposit on beverage containers to encourage people to return beverage containers for recycling. 

According to the statewide nonprofit Green Up Vermont, more than 25,000 volunteers in 2025 picked up more than 427 tons of trash from along 95% of Vermont’s roadsides. More than 14,300 tires were included in the collection as well. 

Today, Green Up efforts involve multiple contests for Vermont young people to get involved and spread the message of reducing litter. Green Up Vermont challenges K-12 students to write essays, create poster art, and record jingles and videos. The winners are posted online at GreenUpVermont.org. The winning art entry becomes the official poster for Green Up publicity. This year’s design was done by a 10th-grade student at Blue Mountain Union High School. 

The Green Up Vermont website has much information about getting involved, with each Vermont community listed with its specific details for Green Up collection and disposal. 

Below is Green Up information for the efforts in Duxbury and Waterbury.

Duxbury

In Duxbury, Green Up is coordinated by members of the Duxbury Land Trust. 

According to lead organizer Jessica Engles, Duxbury residents typically volunteer to pick up trash along their neighborhood roadsides and streambanks.

Green Up bags are available for town residents to pick up from the mailbox beside the front door of the Duxbury Town Office. North Duxbury volunteers can also pick up bags from Engles at 493 Mountainview Road. She has bags in a tub next to her mailbox, which has a blue heron decoration. 

On Green Up Day, volunteers should bring their filled bags to the Town Garage along Vermont Route 100, where there will be a dumpster. North Duxbury volunteers can also leave their bags at the access road in front of the railroad gate, east of the dam, on River Road, Engles said. 

Aside from that River Road collection point, there is no roadside pickup in town. Engles asks those with trucks to help neighbors gather up filled bags to take to the town garage. 

Residents are also reminded not to dump their household trash or tires at the Green Up dumpsters. Security cameras are in operation at the Town Garage.

Those headed out to Green Up are reminded to take safety precautions: wear gloves and appropriate footwear; do not pick up drug paraphernalia; and watch out for ticks. 

Engles asks that if volunteers spot large items that need to be collected or areas with much trash that need attention, they notify her so she can ensure the locations are addressed. 

“Green Up Day is a wonderful way to keep our town beautiful for residents and our many visitors. Please consider contributing to this important community service by volunteering,” Engles said. 

Engles asks volunteers to contact her to let her know where they plan to work. Contact: 802-244-7133 or jessicaengels58@gmail.com.

Waterbury

To participate in Green Up in Waterbury, volunteers are encouraged to use an online signup at tinyurl.com/WaterburyGreenUp2026. The website allows people to note where they will clean up as a way for volunteers to fan out across the entire town.  

As in Duxbury, there is no organized roadside pickup service in Waterbury. On Green Up Day, there are two drop-off locations: the Town Highway Garage at 1707 Guptil Road, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Rodney's Transfer Station on River Road near the Ice Center from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rodney’s also will have a container available on Friday, May 1, until 4 p.m. for those who may Green Up early.

Green Up bags will be available by Friday, April 17, at the Waterbury town office main entry and by Saturday, April 18, at Rodney's Transfer Station.

Some other important notes:

• Tires found during Green Up are accepted free of charge at both drop-off locations. Also, both locations will accept personal car and pickup truck tires (rims OK) for recycling for a fee of $6 each. The tire recycling is organized by John Malter, manager of the Mad River Resource Management Alliance. 

• Volunteers are encouraged to collect returnable bottles and cans in bags separate from trash so they can be redeemed. Organizers are seeking a group to handle that collection and they can keep the redemption funds. Found metal and household scrap metal will be accepted at both drop-off locations. 

• Remember, Green Up is not intended to collect household waste, hazardous waste, electronics, paints, propane tanks, etc. 

• Volunteers are reminded to dress appropriately with bright clothing, gloves, boots, long pants to avoid ticks near tall grass or brush. 

• Those with children along should choose a location away from traffic, such as quieter neighborhood side streets, parks, trails, etc. 

• Take care to watch out for trash that looks unusual or dangerous. Needles are a hazard and should be disposed of in a sealed container. Report any sites that appear to have hazardous items to the Green Up coordinator. 

For more information or to report locations that need particular attention, contact Waterbury Green Up coordinator Lisa Scagliotti at 802-373-5878 or lscagliotti@comcast.net.

Waterbury Roundabout editor Lisa Scagliotti is the volunteer Green Up coordinator for Waterbury.