5-year-old has ‘trash pickup' birthday party

ASTORIA, NY - Most five-year-old girls want to do something with glitter on their birthdays. instead, Emma Murdick wanted litter. 

Emma’s hometown of Astoria had too much garbage on the streets and sidewalks for her taste. As an animal lover, this especially worried her because she was afraid animals would eat it and get sick. Emma wanted to do something about it, but she would need some help to clean it all up. So her parents threw her a trash pickup birthday party.

The city’s Sanitation Department even pitched in with some pins and coloring books for the festivities. She and her friends decorated some aprons, threw on their gloves, and marched a full mile through town as they picked up whatever litter they could find. 

Her mom, Anna Sobel, told DNAinfo, "We felt so proud when she said she wanted to do that for her party. I think all the other kids are convinced that they're going to have a 'trash party' now."

The trash bash was a success, and the eco-conscious kids picked up a whole bag of trash. 

"It was even funner than I thought,” said Emma. 

Watch the video to see the thoughtful birthday idea.