150 ways YOU can help keep Hyde Park beautiful

     Keep it Clean:

1. Get the 411 on 311. Download the BOS:311 App or phone 311 to report non-emergency issues like litter and graffiti to the city.
2. Grease is bad for your pores & your pipes! Order a grease lid from the Boston Water & Sewer Commission, to help keep grease from damaging your pipes and sewer system.
3. Won’t you be my neighbor? Start a litter patrol group in your neighborhood.  Meet monthly to pick up litter and keep your neighborhood clean.
4. One a day to keep the litter away! Challenge yourself to pick up at least one piece of litter per day.
5. Walk an abandoned shopping cart back to the store. Speak to the manager if it is an ongoing problem.
6. Participate in local clean-up events like Love Your Block, the Neponset River Clean-Up, and the Keep Hyde Park Beautiful Costume Clean-Up. Check our Events page to see what events are coming up.
7. Encourage your church, community group, scout troop to participate in local clean-up events.
8. Kick butt! Cigarette butts are made of plastic fibers and do not biodegrade. Dropped on the ground, they are litter. Please dispose of cigarette butts properly.
9. Keep the sidewalk clean around your house. Don’t sweep trash into the street or gutter.
10. Clean up weeds and long grass that can act as litter traps on your property.
11. Observe a carry-in, carry-out policy at area parks.
12. Contact the City or State to advocate for more trash receptacles in parks.
13. Keep a trash bag in your car to collect refuse.
14. When it snows, park at least 20 feet from intersections to keep streets open to plows.
15. Clear snow from your sidewalk within 3 hours of snowfall ending or 3 hours after sunrise if it snowed overnight.
16. Offer to shovel for elderly neighbors or others who may find it difficult.
17. Shovel out fire hydrants when it snows. Get the kids involved and they may earn a free ice cream from Boston City Councilor, Matt O’Malley.
18. Check the street sweeping schedule and move your car to allow for access to your block.
19. Keep catch basins clear to prevent street flooding.
20. Adopt a neglected area, and make it a personal, family, or group mission to keep it clean and beautiful.
21. Download the city’s Trash Day App or go to boston.gov to see your home’s collection schedule, and to search a directory of hundreds of household items and the right way to dispose of them.
22. Carry a small trash bag with you anytime you go for a walk (or walk your dog) and pick up litter along the way.
23. Birds do it. Bees do it. Actually, Swedes do it! Go “Plogging” - pick up trash while jogging.
24. Make sure outside trash receptacles and dumpsters have closed tops or secure lids to prevent items from blowing out or being scattered by animals.
25. Pick up after your dog and dispose of bags properly (in other words, don’t leave the bags on the side of the road or drop them in a catch basin). Local storm drains run directly into the Neponset River. Fido would do it himself, if he could!
26. Ready! Set! Clean! Take kids to the park with some disposable gloves and have a racing challenge to see who can grab the most litter in the least amount of time.
27. Host a “Clean Your Block Party” where you invite neighbors to clean up the block and follow it up with a block party to celebrate.
28. Organize a “Sweep Off” event in your neighborhood: Have different blocks compete with each other to see who can get the most people to sign up to clean their block and beautify their properties within a set period of time.
29. Contact the Department of Public Works if you find escaped litter in the streets on trash pick-up day, or if trash barrels are ending up in the street instead of on the sidewalk. Conversely, contact DPW if you think they are doing a good job in your neighborhood.  
30. Pick up trash barrels left in the street on trash pick-up day, and place them on the curb.
31. Remove all signs for yard sales, car washes, etc. because when it’s over, it’s over.
32. Contact the MBTA to report issues and litter at Hyde Park commuter rail stations and on surrounding property.
33. Employ the strength in numbers approach. If there is a litter issue in your neighborhood that is not being addressed, share details and a photo to the Keep Hyde Park Beautiful facebook page and ask followers to report it to the proper authority. The more people that report a problem, the more likely it will be addressed.  
34. Not all heroes wear capes!  Take the time to thank anyone you see picking up litter.  They will appreciate it!
    
    Keep it Clean Tips for Businesses:
35. Include litter education as part of employee training.  Help employees understand that the presence of litter can affect a business’s sales and reputation and may even result in fines.
36. Incorporate litter prevention and maintenance into regular employee tasks.  Provide a checklist of tasks, including litter pickup outside your establishment and along border areas, as well as checking trash receptacles and parking lots.  Ask your employees for input and suggestions for keeping a litter-free environment. Eliminate graffiti when it occurs.
37. Greens aren’t just good for eating! Use landscaping and maintenance to promote a sense of personal responsibility among your customers and others who pass by your establishment.  People are less likely to litter if it’s obvious that efforts have been made to beautify a space with plants/flowers and storefront maintenance.
38. Customize take-out packaging with a anti-littering message like “Be a Good Neighbor, Don’t Litter”.
39. Use in-store signage reminding customers to use trash receptacles. Consider putting signage near the exit and on or above the trash receptacles.  Also put signage at drive-thru exits.
40. Get involved in the community by participating in annual Hyde Park clean-up programs like Love your Block and the Neponset River Clean-up.  Consider sponsoring a neighborhood cleanup group like Keep Hyde Park Beautiful, or have your business “Adopt-a-Spot” to keep clean in Hyde Park. Ongoing engagement can help expand your business’s visibility in the community.
41. Provide sufficient trash, ash and recycling receptacles inside and outside your establishment and service those receptacles regularly.  Brightly colored or themed trash receptacles attract attention and can help beautify your space.
42. Train employees to ask customers if they want bags or other commonly littered items, and to give customers only what they need.
    
    Keep it Green (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle):
43. Urge your local grocer to start a “no plastic” aisle , where they only stock products that are not packaged in plastic. Not only would it help the environment, but it could help bring the store business and publicity.
44. Recycle prescription drugs and over the counter medications at the E-18 police station on Hyde Park Ave. The dropbox is inside the front doors.
45. Visit one of the little libraries in town to donate old books and pick up ones you haven’t read. Check this map for Hyde Park locations.
46. Visit the big library! The Hyde Park branch of the Boston Public Library is a gem in the community. You can also donate books and gift items to their regularly held sales to benefit the Friends of the Hyde Park Library.
47. Check the schedule for area paint and hazardous waste drop-off events.
48. Join the Give and Get Hyde Park group on Facebook to join neighbors in giving away unneeded items and getting items you actually do need.
49. Host a Halloween “costume swap” in your neighborhood or at your children’s school.
50. Bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store.  
51. Turn down unnecessary packaging at local businesses. Do you really need a bag for something you are going to eat right away?
52. Buy a nice reusable bag to use as a gift bag, instead of buying a paper gift bag that will just be thrown away.
53. Buy a rain barrel and divert your gutter spouts into the barrel to collect water you can use for your lawn.
54. Visit the annual Fairmount Hill yard sale and buy second-hand!
55. Start a neighborhood yard sale of your own!
56. Reduce the amount of junk mail you get by contacting DMAChoice.org (which charges a small fee) or Catalogchoice.org (a less comprehensive, but free service).
57. Unsubscribe from preapproved credit card and insurance offers by contacting OptOutPrescreen.com.
58. Opt out of receiving unnecessary phone books by contacting yellowpagesoptout.com.
59. Visit Dress for Access at 1185 River Street, and buy used. The goal of this quality thrift shop is to use its proceeds to help all females build confidence through style and fashion.
    
60. Call ahead to 311 to schedule removal of large objects and bulk items.
    
61. Order a new recycling bin or sticker.
62. Pick up a recycling sticker from the "City Hall to Go” truck when it visits Hyde Park.  Use the sticker to turn any trash can into a recycling bin.
63. Don’t “double the cup” at Dunkin! Both the plastic cups and styrofoam cups are non-biodegradable. Bring your own reusable cup instead.
64. Use reusable thermoses and water bottles whenever possible.
65. Reach out to the city and tell them you would like Hyde Park to be a part of the city’s Project Oscar composting program.
66. Purchase your own backyard composting bucket or bin from Boston Building Resources.
67. Get to know the local cobblers, tailors, repair shops, and auto mechanics so that you can prolong the life of the items you own instead of throwing them away. Plus, you’ll be supporting local, independent businesses!
68. Recycle mercury thermometers at these locations.
69. Recycle plastic bags at supermarkets. Plastic bags, films, and wraps can be recycled at Shaw’s on Hyde Park Ave., Price Rite on River St., Stop & Shop on Truman Pkwy., and at Lowe’s in Dedham.
70. Sign up for a MassSave energy assessment.
71. Learn about Boston’s ZeroWaste initiative and the circular economy.
72. Follow Mass Green Network to learn how you can help push legislation that will help keep our community clean, green and beautiful.
73. Help the city turn yard waste into mulch by following the yard waste schedule. Instead of buying paper bags for yard waste, you can order free “Yard Waste” stickers to put on open barrels.
74. Curious about how the next generation of Bostonians are saving the planet? Visit bostongreenschools.org to learn how Boston Public Schools are pursuing zero waste policies.
75. Plastic straws are one of the most commonly found types of litter in the ocean. Skip the straw, or buy a reusable stainless steel straw instead of using plastic.
76. Don’t get stuck in a sticky situation. Learn how to safely dispose of needles and syringes.
77. Still have that old 8-Track Player hanging around? Find out which of your old electronics can be recycled by the city.
78. Talk to your neighbors about starting a tool sharing program in your neighborhood.
79. Animal shelters are often in need of used blankets, towels, sheets, and soft bedding. Why not give yours a second life, and help animals in the process.
    
    Keep it Beautiful:
80. Care for the street tree in front of your house or workplace.
81. Plant non-invasive flowers around your street trees.  Check city guidelines first, to make sure they won’t harm the tree.
82. Grab some neighbors and work together to beautify the “forgotten corner” in your neighborhood.
83. Adopt one of the planters in the business district from Hyde Park Main Streets.
84. Visit Hyde Park’s Ferrara’s Greenhouse for plants to make your own yard beautiful.
85. Beautify your porch or front steps with decorative potted plants.
86. Support local beekeepers; local honey may be good for your allergies!
87. Apply for Daffodils from the city’s Boston Blooms with Daffodils program.
88. Learn about and support the good work of the Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation Green Team.
89. Calling all artists! Apply to paint one of Hyde Park’s utility boxes and transform a dull gray box into a work of art.
90. Visit and support Hyde Park’s Urban Wilds.
91. Download a trail map and take a stroll through Hyde Park’s Stonybrook Reservation.
92. Visit Pure Joy Flowers to buy flowers to beautify your home.
93. Plant pollinator plants in your yard to help the struggling bee population. See a list of what types of plants thrive in our Massachusetts climate.
94. Toss a seed bomb at a hard to reach patch of land, and watch what grows.
95. Learn about Boston’s Community Preservation Act, and how the funds can help benefit area parks, open spaces, and historic preservation.
96. Pitch your neighborhood beautification ideas to Keep Hyde Park Beautiful.
97. Use something other than salt on icy driveways and walkways. Kitty litter and sand work well.
98. Support Hyde Park Main Streets in their efforts to beautify the business district.
99. Support legislation that you feel would reduce litter, promote recycling and make the community more beautiful.
100. Support local art and artists by visiting The Switch Co-op, the Menino Arts Center, and the the Gallery at Westinghouse.
101. Volunteer with Hyde Park Main Streets to help distribute and hang the holiday wreaths in the business district.
102. Donate to Keep Hyde Park Beautiful or another local group working towards Hyde Park beautification.
103. Donate an auction/raffle item or service to Keep Hyde Park Beautiful.
104. Plant a tree or some flowers on National Planting Day, which takes place annually on the first Saturday after Labor Day.
105. Get more involved in your neighborhood association.  Use your strength in numbers to address neighborhood issues.
106. Looking to restore your home to its former glory?  Contact Hyde Park’s vintage home specialist, s.b.k. design + build.
107. Are you interested in having a plot at Hyde Park’s community garden on Factory Hill? Send your name, street address, phone number, and email address to add your name to the waiting list.
108. Volunteer to help care for the apple orchard at Stonybrook Reservation.
109. Research shows that volunteering is linked to health benefits and higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Why not volunteer your strengths, skills and knowledge to benefit the community.
110. Grab a few neighbors and host a “weedwackathon” in your neighborhood. Work together to whack the weeds that grow through sidewalk cracks, at the edge of fences, and around street trees.
111. Call the DCR Community Relations line at (617) 626-4972 to report issues on their property or in their parks.
112. Propose a public art or design project to the Boston Art Commission.
113. Read the Humans of Hyde Park series and be inspired by the stories of people in our community who are working to keep Hyde Park clean, green and beautiful.
114. Do you know someone whose efforts are helping to make Hyde Park clean, green and beautiful? Nominate them for a future Humans of Hyde Park story.
115. Take the time to thank or acknowledge businesses you feel are going above and beyond to keep their storefront and property looking beautiful. D Coal Pot Restaurant at 984 Hyde Park Avenue is a great example!
116. Nominate a home or local business for the Mayor’s annual Garden Contest. D Coal Pot Restaurant has won the “storefront category” of this contest multiple times.
117. Do you have a colony of feral cats in your neighborhood?  Help reduce their suffering and keep their numbers down by contacting a group like Boston’s Forgotten Felines to have them trapped, neutered and released.  
118. Find your neighborhood on NextDoor.com and join the network to communicate with and mobilize your neighbors.
119. Use natural fertilizer instead of chemicals.
120. Shop local and get what you need to beautify your property at Hyde Park’s own Central Paint & True Value Hardware store, located at 1206 River Street.
121. Use boiling water instead of chemicals to kill weeds.
122. Take an art class at the Menino Art Center or The Switch Co-op and create something that helps make your home beautiful.
123. Remember the joy of driving around as a child and looking at all the holiday lights and decorations? Contribute to the wonder of the season by decorating the exterior of your home or business for the holidays.
124. Paint your front door a bright color, and make your house stand out in the neighborhood.
125. Make your own bird feeder to attract different kinds of birds to your property.
126. Sign up for beekeeping classes at the Boston Bee School, and start an apiary in your backyard.
127. Is there a blank wall you think would look nice with a mural?  Contact the Mayor’s Mural Crew.
128. Join Pinterest to get lots of ideas for gardening and DIY crafts that can beautify your property.
129. Take a ride around Fairmount Hill and be inspired by all the beautiful gardens in the district.
130. Observe everything with a critical eye and think about how it could be beautified.
131. Greet your neighbors and make new friends. Take time to welcome newcomers to the neighborhood.
132. Drive safely and respectfully; relax at the wheel and give pedestrians the right of way.
133. Shop and eat local, and when you do, introduce yourself to the owners and employees.
134. Get involved in your kid’s schools, and advocate for projects that help keep them clean, green and beautiful.
135. Contact ClearChannel or call 781-438-8880 to report an issue with the billboards in our community. Please note: Some billboards are owned and managed by the MBTA, and are outside the jurisdiction of ClearChannel.
136. Take some photos that capture the beauty of Hyde Park and share them on social media.  Better yet, share them to the Keep Hyde Park Beautiful Facebook page!
137. Utilize neighborhood parks: Highly utilized parks may be more likely to receive funding and attention.
138. Ride your bike: Take advantage of the bike paths and bike lanes throughout Hyde Park, like the path that runs down Truman Parkway.
139. Learn how to live harmoniously with wildlife in the area.
140. Join the Hyde Park Historical Society and the Hyde Park: Then & Now Facebook group to learn all about the history of our community.
141. Donate a used vehicle to Keep Massachusetts Beautiful and 45% of the proceeds will go to Keep Hyde Park Beautiful, to help us with our efforts to keep the community clean, green and beautiful.
142. Get to know Bryan Flynn, the Mayor’s Neighborhood Services liaison for Hyde Park. Bryan addresses all constituent requests, attends civic association meetings, and coordinates special events and visits by the Mayor.
143. Get to know who your federal and state-level elected officials are, and how to reach out to them.
144. Learn more about your City Councilman, Tim McCarthy.
145. Vote! Find your polling location.
146. Do you think a certain business (or type of business) would do well in Hyde Park and be an asset to the community? Share your idea with Hyde Park Main Streets.
147. Apply for a Love Your Block mini-grant, if you have an idea for a neighborhood beautification project.
148. Are you being disturbed by loud partying or music in your neighborhood? Report it to the Loud Party Line at 617-343-5500.
149. Sign up for the Keep Hyde Park Beautiful mailing list to keep up to date with our events and efforts in the community. Encourage your Hyde Park friends and neighbors to sign up, too!
150. Smile! It’s a great time to be in Hyde Park!
     
     

Did we forget anything? Email us if you have a suggestion to add to the list.
Please note:
Keep Hyde Park Beautiful does not endorse any business, organization, product, person, or service included in this list.  This was an exercise to see if we could compile 150 ideas, and we tried to include as many local businesses and organizations as we could.

Certain links, forms, and applications are seasonal and may not be active at all times of the year. If you see a tip that is no longer accurate or a link that no longer works, please let us know.