There’s no denying litter is unsightly and it’s become a problem in the Sweet Onion City. But a group of citizens are ready to address the problem but not just by picking it up.

Monday afternoon about a dozen people gathered in the Dr. Mark and Tonya Spivey Library with Natalie Johnston-Russell and Meagan Whitehead of the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation about how to organize a plan in Vidalia to rid the city of litter.

Howard Holman is spearheading the initiative locally.

“Charles Andrew and I have been talking about litter for about 30 years,” Holman said. “A while back, we were in Kyoto, Japan, and I bought a candy bar and looked for a trash can to put the wrapper in. I couldn’t find one until I got back to the room. There was not a piece of litter anywhere on the ground. Then in May, Charles and I were in Shanghai, China and it was the same way. There are 26 million people in that city and not one dad-gum piece of trash anywhere! So I know it can be done! What bothers me, is people here at home throwing out trash and knowing someone else is going to pick it up – but it won’t be them.”

He went on, “I’m not looking for a sign-up sheet today for people to pick up trash. What I want to come out of this meeting is a committee with ideas on how we can attack the problem of trash in Vidalia and all of Toombs County. I know we can do it.”

Several topics were discussed at the preliminary meeting on how to avoid littering in the first place including reaching out to children who will quickly pick up on the idea and “teach” their parents, and using community service workers to pick up trash on roadways as part of their court-ordered service.

When the committee is officially formed, Garrett Wilcox will serve as the Chair, and it was decided to meet again and to move forward with the program.