The Adopt-A-Basket Program
An individual mechant or property owner can adopt-a-basket. Sanitation provides participants with liners for them to place in the basket and when the bag is full, they tie it, put it next to the basket and replace the liner. This prevents the basket from overflowing and keeps the corner looking neater. Participants receive a certificate of appreciation from the Department of Sanitation for their community service.
Participation in the program is not just for individuals. Organizations can adopt several baskets. For example, the Council for A Cleaner Chinatown adopted an entire area in Chinatown.
The DOE Fund is a non-profit organization which assists people going through hard times to get them back on their feet. They provide these people with room and board along with job training and entry level jobs. Property owners or business associations have hired the Doe Fund to sweep sidewalks, clean 18" into the street and adopt corner litter baskets. Because the Doe Fund is a non-profit organization, the cost is low making it "affordable" for local groups to hire them. Anyone interested in this program can contact the Doe Fund at 212-628-5207 or www.doe.org
This Fiscal Year, close to a dozen participants have sponsored high-end baskets. As a result, new litter baskets will appear on their local commercial strips. These baskets are designed to prevent household and commercial bags from being placed in them. In return for the sponsorship and the community service it provides, the basket will bear the sponsor's name or company logo.