From trash pick-up to creative repurposing of recyclables for art, the average Clevelander has more than a few ways to participate in sustainability with no training necessary. Walk around town and you’ll see people making a difference already — picking up trash, installing solar panels, maybe even building a sculpture from those extra Chinese takeout containers. However it may be, various residents of the Land know a thing or two about getting involved.
Community Clean
Eddie Olschansky sits in his kayak and paddles through the serene Cuyahoga River — keeping his trash bag and picker within reach. As he roams the river for his latest discovery, his arms sway from side to side and the water swashes with each pass. Suddenly, he spots what appears to be a heap. He grabs his picker and plunges underneath, pulling out a wrinkled love note encapsulated in a bottle, an old tire, and a used tampon applicator. In 2018, he started to post about it on Instagram, and people took an interest in the initiative and volunteering. The organization has since garnered over 400 volunteers and more than 3,000 followers on social media. “Then I had some smarter friends than I who would come out with me, borrow my spare kayak, and end up picking up trash with me,” Olschansky said. “And they’re like, ‘Dude, if you want to really make a difference, you've got to tell other people. You've got to find a way to get a message out there." Interested locals can visit Olschansky’s Instagram @trashfish_cle.
College Student Involvement
Cleveland State University's Office of Sustainability launched a dining program in 2022 where participants can exchange a reusable takeaway container for a fresh one to reduce the campus’s plastic waste. “Students seem to be appreciative,” says Jennifer McMillin, the director of the Office of Sustainability. “I think it’s really important to make these initiatives fun and accessible.” CSU also holds an annual Earth Day celebration called Earthfest, hosted by the Office of Sustainability and the Student Environmental Movement. The goal is to “showcase environmental programs” McMillin says. Students who attend this event can expect to find informative displays, interactive educational installments and prizes. “Student involvement is really important for lots of reasons,” McMillin says. “Students bring fresh ideas, insights, energy and enthusiasm to projects.”
Sustainable Art
Upcycle Parts Shop owner Nicole McGee sits in the art supply store, but things look a bit different than the average lineup of acrylic paints and untouched canvases one might expect. Instead, McGee sits among a collection of unused vinyl flooring and carpet; bottlecaps and shreds of plastic fill up bins that might’ve held paint brushes at another shop; pill bottles lie empty, and it isn’t because someone has a problem. Rather, someone found a solution. “This is about environmental impact and education and demonstration, but without being overtly about the problems of our need to be more sustainable,” says McGee. At Upcycle Parts Shop, McGee and her team demonstrate the ways local artists — and anyone else looking for something to do with their empty plastic containers — can participate in sustainability by creating with products that would normally hit a landfill. Clevelanders show up to the St. Clair-Superior store daily to gather odds and ends that might complete their current artworks.
Cycling For Transportation
Looking for a way to lessen your carbon footprint? Craving a little fresh air in the outdoors? If you said “yes” to either of these questions, then go grab that dusty bike from your garage and ditch the car keys. Choosing a bike over a car just once a day can reduce individual carbon emissions by 67% according to a University of Oxford study reported by Bloomberg.com. Joy Machines Bike Shop owner Alex Nosse preaches the emotional and health benefits of the hobby. “I think walking and biking places is extremely healthy,” he says. “The mental component of walking [or] biking is as important as the physical. A lot of people who drive long distance, like a tough car commute every day, I get the sense that that really can drain you.” In January, a Cleveland City Council committee approved plans to create more than four miles of bike lanes to Superior and Lorain avenues.
Saving Energy in Northeast Ohio
Looking ahead, plenty of Clevelanders have begun to wonder about renewable energy in the home. Some of the easier options outlined in CSU’s Energy Saving Check List include turning off unnecessary electronics like laptops and coffeepots, keeping windows shut tightly for insulation and monitoring for leaky faucets or pipes. For something a bit more involved, locals should look into solar panels for the home. It may seem counterintuitive in a city known for its lake effect precipitation, but in a 2017 guide to solar energy, the City of Cleveland claimed that it saw more panel installations per capita than sunnier destinations like Houston and Atlanta. To get started, locals may want to take advantage of DIY starter kits from Sun Hub or free consultations and heftier installations from YellowLite — which claims that buyers will see a complete return on their investment within 5-8 years. The business offers a solar calculator on its website for a general estimation of your home’s energy savings.
