'Trash Man Of Brick' Is Dedicated To Getting Litter Off The Ground

BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A man in Brick Township is talking trash and getting a lot of attention.

He calls himself the 'Trash Man of Brick' and picks up other people's litter. Now, he wants others to get involved.

While most chairmen of the board sit at the head of the table, Tony Kono takes his duties straight to the streets.

"I dubbed myself 'The Trash Man Of Brick," he said.

Kono volunteers as the Brick Township Environment Commission Chairman, and also gives up his time about once a week to pick up trash on a part of Mantaloking Road around Trader's Cove Park.

"I'll probably go back and get my little shovel in the car to pick up this mess," he said.

He picked the spot since it's the township's main artery that connects to the beach.

"Gotta get the plastic trash off the ground because over 90 percent of plastic trash that doesn't make it into the landfill, ends up in the water," he said.

Kono started lending a hand after Hurricane Sandy hit the area in 2012.

"The water was probably this part, the night of Sandy and once the water receded, there was trash everywhere," he said.

The mayor praised him for his work saying in part, "dedicated volunteers like Tony assist with our efforts and we hope that others will follow his example."

The community is pleased too.

"It's a great thing what this man is doing," Chris Johnson said.

"If everyone just does that one little bit each time, it adds up for the greater good for all," Bill Strong said.

Kono said in nearly five years, no one has got out of their car to help him.

"I actually kind of like to do it when I know the cars are coming by, just to show people that I am out there picking up trash," he said.

He posts videos to Facebook to generate community interest and hopes eventually people will catch on.

"Just by doing a little bit, you can make a big difference," he said.

The area he cleans up is sponsored by an Adopt A Roadway Program.

CBS2 has been told they do two major cleanups a year, but along the way they need additional help.