As the longest federal government shutdown drags on, a well-known bottled water maker is stepping up to help with clean-up work normally handled by furloughed workers.
Nestlé Waters North America said it will team with Keep America Beautiful in cleaning efforts at shared public spaces across the country.
The first effort is on St. Simons Island, Ga.
"At Nestlé Waters North America, we believe that even one bottle or can that is not recycled properly is one too many. When we heard about the need in our national parks, we wanted to help," said John Caturano, senior manager of packaging and recycling programs at the bottled water company, in a statement.
KAB said the effort to keep public lands free from debris is challenging.
"While our volunteers can't totally abate and remove the litter and debris that is amassing at our national parks and public lands during the government shutdown, our affiliates have offered their assistance in the communities they serve to support the parks during this time of need," said Randy Hartmann, senior director of affiliate operations at KAB.
PET water bottles are commonly discarded on public lands by those using those locations.