Lisa Heaton's passion is for a cleaner earth, one state and piece of trash at a time

It’s time for some spring cleaning and not just for the indoors. 

For one Quad Cities woman, that has her hoping more people will pick up throw away trash on the ground outside. 

Lisa Heaton is the founder of QC Pollution Solution.

Through the organization formed last year, she collects bags of trash along roads and on hiking trails.

She told Local 4 News this passion started while volunteering at the Niabi Zoo and learning about the impact garbage has on wildlife and nature. That inspired her to act.

Heaton’s goal is to find trash before it ends up in the rivers and lakes or eaten by animals. 

“It’s like a treasure hunt,” said Lisa Heaton described her effort.

But Heaton’s treasure is other people’s trash she hates to find. 

Heaton said, “And this is what hurts. This is what inspired me.”

She does a lot of cleaning, this time Heaton is leading family and friends to clean up the two-mile stretch in her first and just designated adopt a highway spot south of Port Byron.

One of the young volunteers, Presley Duffek, said, “A little disappointed cause how people litter like that.”

It’s part of her QC Pollution Solution journey to inspire people to see the mess and take steps for change.

Heaton said, “Your right hand is a thumbs down, and your left hand is a thumbs up, and then you connect at the knuckle. And again, what they stand for is down with pollution, thumbs up to being part of the solution.”

She spends a lot of time on the sides of any road or hiking trails.

Heaton said, “You literally look around, it’s everywhere. This is what it looks like everywhere.”

Heaton would know. She’s covered a lot of ground within the past year.

Heaton said, “Where I thought I’d maybe get only 10 to 12 states and then it turned into 24 states in eight months.”

And she’s planning to check off the rest of the lower 48 this year.

Heaton said, “Next week I’m flying to Washington, Idaho and Montana.”

But Heaton’s most significant fight is here, where she all started in the Quad Cities.

Heaton said, “All litter is bad, but plastic and styrofoam is nature’s worst enemy.”

Her hope is for more people to notice, so they reach down and relocate what doesn’t belong in the trash.

Heaton said, “You’re one cool kid Compton, how many other kids do you think are out here picking up trash.”

And involving young kids has become a part of her work.

“I love to interact with children at that age because it really sparks that interest where they at this age, or this point young generations love nature. They love being outside, they love animals so to see the damage we’re causing to the planet really sparks something in them too where they’re hey I want to make a difference too,” said Heaton. 

One of her young volunteers, Compton Barker, said, “I want to help the environment because animals and trees and everything is dying.”

For Heaton it’s so when people look around they see more of nature’s treasures and not so much trash.
“I love to be out in nature so to see all the trash and all the litter going one way, it hurts your feelings a little bit but then to be able to walk that distance and pick up trash and turn around and see the difference the before and after, that makes all the world to me,” said Heaton.

A small deed she said is appreciated if each person can do their part.

Heaton said, “Mother nature thanks you.”

Heaton told Local 4 News she plans to check off Alaska and Hawaii in 2020.

When not picking up trash in her free time, Heaton said one of the projects she’s working on is how to repurpose plastics.

She’s hoping to share that effort sometime this year. 

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