Worcester DPW&P: Litter Tracking Method

Welcome to our project page! We are a group of students from WPI who worked with the Worcester Department of Public Works (DPW) sponsored by Jacquelyn Burmeister, the senior environmental analyst.

Student Researchers:

• Kimberly Frary, Environmental engineering
• Justin Schoepke, Aerospace engineering
• Camren Smith, Biomedical engineering
• Thomas Sterrett, Mechanical engineering

Our Project Goal and Objectives: 

The main goal of this project was to devise an easily implemented method of monitoring and tracking litter to restore blue and green spaces in Worcester, Massachusetts. Ms. Burmeister wanted to track the amount of litter within the city as a first step toward decreasing it and improving the ecological condition of Worcester’s parks. In order to achieve this project goal, we have developed the following objectives to produce a method for tracking litter in Worcester, MA: 

1. Identify current Worcester litter tracking and clean up programs
2. Identify methods of litter tracking from places outside Worcester
3. Comparatively analyze methods/programs found in objectives 1 and 2
4. Devise a custom litter tracking program specifically for Worcester
5. Determine effectiveness of litter tracking program using a small scale pilot study

Sponsor: Jacquelyn Burmeister, Senior Environmental Analyst at the Worcester DPW