BRISTOL — Garbage is on the minds of Bristol town officials.
Town Administrator Therese Kirby recently reminded Bristol residents that the selectboard established a policy of “Pack in and Pack out” for the town parks more than two years ago. This has been a long held practice of the state of Vermont and the federal government for state and national parks.
The town does have at least eight combination recycling and trash containers placed around the downtown, and a licensed hauler empties them every Friday.
The selectboard has also asked restaurants on Main Street that have outdoor seating to provide proper trash and recycling containers for their patrons.
“Recently we have been experiencing issues with people leaving trash on the bandstand and in different places on the park,” Kirby wrote. “If you see people leaving trash behind, please remind them the Town Park is “pack in and pack out,” and that there are trash containers in front of Howden Hall and the corner of North Street and Main Street.”
Another issue the town is seeing, is people filling the trash containers on Main Street with their household garbage. These containers are designed for small items (coffee cups, gum wrappers, etc.). Household garbage should be disposed of by going to the Town Garage on Saturday mornings between 8 a.m. and noon and paying R&L Rubbish to dispose of it properly. Kirby said residents could also hire Pat Palmer to pick up residential trash, or renters could speak with their landlord about proper disposal methods.
In Vermont, the penalty for not properly disposing of trash is a $500 fine and/or up to 80 hours collecting trash or litter from a specified segment of roadside or from a specified area of public property.
There are a lot of things people in the community can do to prevent litter:
•  Choose not to litter and lead by example.
•  Educate family and friends about not littering.
•  Always have available a litter bag in your car.
•  If going on an outing, bring along a trash bag.
•  If you are a smoker, carry and use a portable or pocket ashtray.
•  Take responsibility for your pet and their actions and dispose of pet waste at home.
•  Practice the principles of Leave No Trace as outlined by The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.
•  If you see litter, pick it up.