Television, Rugs Among 1,200 Pounds Of Trash Pulled From Union County Waterways

UNION COUNTY, NJ — A group of local high school students set out to clean up area waterways. Along the way, they discovered that some of the biggest problems were not just bottles and wrappers — but a television, four large rugs, and a 30-pound rusty metal pipe.

Those items were among more than 1,200 pounds of trash removed by Project Agos, a youth-led organization founded by students who wanted to make a difference in local waterways.

The group, started last year by Jase Villaverde and Dhruv Patel, has grown to more than 50 members and has organized cleanups at three parks throughout the area.

Project Agos held its first cleanup at Joe Collins Park, where a stream feeds into the Rahway River. During that event, 17 volunteers collected 383.4 pounds of trash.

“We started Project Agos because we had the ability to make a big difference in our communities, so we decided to act on that opportunity and do our part,” Villaverde said.

Villaverde said he and Patel were inspired to start the organization after seeing how pollution affects waterways and the environment.

“It’s not enough to say we care about the environment without actually doing anything,” Villaverde said. “Actions matter, not just words.”

The organization originally started under the name StormNet, based on an early idea to place nets over storm drains to help prevent trash from entering waterways. The students later shifted their focus toward organizing cleanups and bringing volunteers together.

Since then, Project Agos volunteers have removed more than 1,200 pounds of debris from local waterways, including everyday litter and larger discarded items.

Villaverde said some of the discoveries during cleanups have been surprising.

“We’ve found a TV, four huge rugs, a 30-pound rusty metal pipe, and many more oddities,” Villaverde said. “It makes us a little sad that such pollution is contaminating our waters, but it also makes us happy that we were able to make such a difference.”

The students said they wanted to take action themselves instead of waiting for someone else to address the problem.

“We have the means to make a difference, and that means we also have a responsibility to do so,” Villaverde said.

The name Project Agos reflects the group’s focus on protecting waterways. Villaverde said “agos” translates to “flow” in Tagalog, referring to the movement of water through rivers, oceans, lakes and streams. The name also connects to a Greek meaning related to the defilement of something sacred.

“At Project Agos, nature is sacred and something we rely on every day,” Villaverde said.

Moving forward, the group plans to organize additional cleanups, particularly in areas where pollution has had a significant impact.

Villaverde said the group hopes its work encourages more students and residents to get involved.

“When we started Agos, we never expected to collect this much trash in only three cleanups,” Villaverde said. “It turns out we were very wrong.”