How picking up trash put Vermont into the Guinness Book of World Records

Community members, Green Up Day leaders, business officials and Vermont students celebrated a Guinness World Record on Tuesday — ‘Most Pledges Received for Trash Clean Up in 24 Hours’

According to Erin Desautels, a Green Up Vermont board member, the minimum number of sign-ups needed to break to current record was 5,000.

“Vermonters and even some visitors from nearby states and far away countries came together on May 4th and gathered 6,833 pledges to achieve the record, making history for our brave little state,” said Desautels.

Over 250 towns across Vermont participated in the clean-up event. Green Up Vermont board members say that Green Up Day turnout increased by 30% statewide, and that an estimated 1.3 million pounds of trash were picked up that day.

Eliza Minnucci, a teacher and volunteer town coordinator in Tunbridge, got 286 signatures, the highest number of pledges from one town.

“This past spring when I announced the World Record attempt at our town meeting, I’ve never seen a list of names grow so fast. There definitely have been some interesting petitions circulating a town meeting before, but I’ve never seen one more popular than promising to pick up trash,” she said.

Students like Adelyn Ophardt, an 8th grader at Essex middle school, showed excitement about participating in Green Up Day. Her artwork won a contest, and was featured on the 2024 Green Up Day promotional posters.

“They were saying we could do a little out of this world theme so I, sort of, I took that and made Vermont in the center of the planet,” said Ophardt.

Green Up Vermont officials and Vermont students will be gearing up for next year’s cleanup efforts in 2025.

While organizers won’t be trying to surpass their own record again next year, they are encouraging other states to try and beat their title. Organization leaders say as long as the message of cleaning up the environment is spread, it’ll be a win.

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