Residents Clean Up SD Park With Purpose-built Tool Thanks to Local Metal Supplier

An empty bottle here, a candy wrapper there, picking up litter has gotten easier thanks to Gary Blume, of the Total Altruism Project.

Blume created a handheld litter-grabbing tool attached to nets using aluminum rods purchased from the Metal Supermarkets store in San Diego for people to help clean up the environment.

The initiative originated while he was walking his dog in a San Diego park. After picking up some litter and tossing it in the trash, a passer-by thanked Blume for his effort, sparking the idea to set up stations in city parks with hanging litter-grabbing tools that passersby could utilize to pick-up trash along their walks.

He met with the staff at Metal Supermarkets who recommended a thin metal rod to connect a small net completing the litter grabbing tool.

In 2023, the litter collection effort became so popular it convinced the city of San Diego's mayor and council members to make an official proclamation of 'Gary Blume's Total Altruism Project Day'.

Mesa College's scientific park studies showed litter totals dropped by 50 percent allowing park workers to focus on other management matters.

"We're proud to support San Diego businesses and customers in being good stewards of the environment," said Maria Montalvo, franchise owner of Metal Supermarkets San Diego (South). "Gary and his handheld litter-grabbing tool amazed me and the team. It's these types of customers and civic-based projects that make owning and operating a Metal Supermarkets store a very rewarding opportunity."

Future use of the tool is planned for other San Diego parks, and beyond, showcasing the positive impact Blume can have thanks to Metal Supermarkets.