MANSFIELD — Shannon Turk consistently saw trash and debris on commercial properties while driving a semi-truck full-time.
“No matter where you are or where you drive, it doesn’t take long to see some litter,” she said. “I thought I could make a difference by helping business and property owners clean up their spaces and help them be proud of their properties.”
Turk saw a trash clean-up business online and was inspired to start “The Litter Lady” as a service for Mansfield-area businesses.
The Litter Lady has special tools to pick up litter, cigarette butts, bottles and cans from exterior grounds of businesses. She is also offering customers different types of “litter control programs” depending on how frequently owners want her to visit their grounds. Visits can be as frequent as five days per week.
“I thought that would be perfect for me because I love the outdoors and I love to clean,” she said. “I charge between $35 and $50 an hour depending on how much litter there is and how far I have to go.”
Turk said she is targeting larger businesses like grocery stores, restaurants, warehouses, municipal buildings and strip malls as potential customers.
“A lot of places don’t pay attention to litter buildup because they need their people inside helping customers,” Turk said. “And in the case of restaurants, it would be unsanitary to ask a server to pick up trash and cigarette butts during downtime.”
Turk said her initial visit to business grounds for litter pickup will take the longest amount of time, sometimes more than three hours. She is considering what rate to charge for one-time lot cleanings.
“I’ll take care of the parking lot, shrubs, sidewalks and all of that,” Turk said. “And I can wipe down dumpsters or bag trash and that sort of thing too if they ask.”
The Litter Lady is building a customer base at the local level and Turk said she hopes to expand to the Columbus and Cleveland areas, as well as get some family members involved in the business.
“I think having litter-free properties is beneficial to business owners and to the community because we can all be proud of the appearance,” Turk said. “And that’s where I can help to keep our neighborhoods a greener and cleaner place to live.”
The Litter Lady can be reached at 567-274-4041 or shannonturk@thelitterlady.com.
