New gang roaming the streets of Indianapolis is targeting ... litter? Meet the 'Grippers.'

There’s a gang out on the streets of Indianapolis that you might not have heard of yet. But don't worry, it's not a fearsome bunch.

They call themselves "grippers," and their only enemy is the trash littering local streets and roads.

The name stems from the members' use of grip extenders, a hand-held tool that saves them from bending over every time they pick up a fast food wrapper or discarded plastic bottle. Despite the alliterative moniker, the group is more of a loose affiliation of litter-pickers who have found community — and share their bounty — on the website Reddit.

A typical Gripper Gang post will have a picture of the grip extender and a 5-gallon bucket or two full of garbage.

“Gripper Gang Lives On!” exclaims one user.

“Trash Day Gripper Gang!" another post says. "What a lovely day to GET A GRIP.”

The posts attract comments like: “I love these posts so much” and “Where did you get your gripper? Need to get my own.”

Litter is no small problem. Keep America Beautiful estimated in 2020 that there were nearly 50 billion pieces of litter along roads and waterways in the U.S. That's about 150 pieces of litter for each American. Cigarette butts and plastic food wraps make up the most littered items in the group's study.

In Indiana, littering is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and no more than $1,000 in fines. But the law doesn't deter many Hoosiers from tossing trash out their car windows — or worse.

That's why individuals and groups like the Gripper Gang step up to help. The nascent community also aims to motivate others to get out and clean up litter in their own neighborhoods.

All you need is a gripper and a bucket or bag

Jake Phillips, a native Hoosier who has lived on the eastside for six years, said the online Gripper Gang posts inspired him to start picking up trash near his home.

“I’ve been doing it pretty regularly for two years,” Phillips said. “So much so that we ended up buying an extra trash can from our utility because we’d fill an entire bin from the streets and not have enough space for our own trash.”

It’s important to Phillips, who said anyone can spend a few minutes making the community better — even if they only get out once every few weeks.

“It really adds up and sometimes I feel like we don’t have a lot of community responsibility expressed and I wish we had a little more of that,” Phillips said. “It feels good spending that time giving to the neighborhood.”

There is no special skill needed, he said, and no big investment to get started. All you need: A 5-gallon bucket and a gripper, which can be bought for around $15 (keep reading to find out where you may be able to score one for free).

Rachel James-Dolan, another eastside resident, was shocked to see so much garbage lining the streets when she moved to Indianapolis from Texas in December 2020.

“In Texas they have a saying, ‘Don’t mess with Texas,’” James-Dolan said. “A lot of people use that, but it’s actually a campaign against litter.”

James-Dolan said she quickly learned how serious others take littering after her move to Texas. She tossed an apple core out of her friend’s car window and the friend started panicking, letting her know the state takes a hardline with litter bugs.

“It’s frustrating to see Indiana has such a problem,” she said. “Once we moved here, I noticed a stark difference in litter in general.”

That’s when James-Dolan began speaking with her neighbors and getting involved with the neighborhood association to tackle the trash problem. Litter was a hot topic of discussion within the association, she said, especially what area residents could do to help.

Inspired by the conversations and a couple of neighbors who would pick up litter every morning, James-Dolan began seeing those Gripper Gang posts on Reddit. She started posting her own photos and reveled at the comments she would receive.

“I started posting my pictures on Reddit and people are commenting, ‘How do you get a gripper? And ‘How do you get involved?’” James-Dolan said.

During neighborhood association meetings, she also learned about Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and the organization’s Adopt-A-Block captains. Founded in the ‘70s to address litter problems, KIB is supported by the City of Indianapolis and offers supplies all year long.

Summer Keown, KIB’s director of clean neighborhoods, said anyone interested in picking up litter can pick up a grip extender, gloves, trash bags, reflective vests and other tools. The group also designates Adopt-A-Block captains throughout the city. There currently are more than 800 captains, who sign up for a two-year roles and help make sure litter is cleared from the block and debris doesn't clog stormwater drains.

“It’s not a scary commitment,” Keown said. “If someone moves we can find someone else to fill the role. It’s pretty simple.”

James-Dolan said KIB is really receptive if you need more supplies. “They’re just super excited to get people on board and will help people do anything," she said. "There’s a lot of cool things to work with them on.”

Finding Zen in a small, simple act

Joining the Gripper Gang, or just pitching in with litter removal, doesn’t require coordinating with a neighborhood group. Phillips said he sometimes just enjoys the quiet time picking up trash alone.

“As a teacher, after work sometimes I want it to be silent,” Phillips said. “I’ll put in headphones and pick up some trash and decompress.”

People are often appreciative when the see like likes of the Gripper Gang combing the streets. The best part for Phillips is when someone notices him from their front porch and will pick up a few littered items in their own yard.

“I think there is a thing where they don’t want to feel guilty but it’s a little more positive, too,” Phillips said. “People are generally nice and say, ‘thank you’ and it helps start some conversations.”

Phillips stressed the limited barriers to get started. The equipment is inexpensive or free and it’s not a super involved and dedicated activity, he said.

“You don’t need special skills and you don’t have to dedicate you life to it,” Phillips said. “Every now and then just go do a small thing.”

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: New gang helping Indianapolis residents get a grip on litter problem