The war on litter, update.

[Fishing Rhino]

I posted some time ago about putting a barrel for trash at a local boat launch.  It really isn't a ramp, but it serves the purpose.  For years litter has accumulated, simply because it was too easy to toss trash onto the ground, rather than carrying some type of plastic bag to hold trash until it could be disposed of properly.

 

The ground around the barrel is free of any litter.  A hundred yards away where cars park there is some littler, but not like it used to be.  One of my concerns was that some might use it to dispose of their home trash, but that did not happen.

 

The only thing close to that is that someone disposed of thirty or forty rods (no reels).  They stuffed all they could into the barrel then made a neat stack of the remainder.  They were salt water rods, and there were about three types of rods.  Looked like someone who ran a "head boat" decided to get rid of his old rods after replacing those supplied to his customers.  They didn't appear to be in bad shape other than they were rendered unusable.

 

Other than that, I am pleased that it has worked out so well.  I'll continue providing a trash barrel until the season ends, and if I'm still around, I'll put it out again next year as the season approaches.

[Paul Roberts]

Very cool idea.

[YaknBassn]

I always bring a large trash bag with me.  This past weekend, I put it at a launch on a wildlife refuge with THREE large trash drums and a place to dispose of fishing line.  I filled the bag, picked up who knows how much line, and even collected a used boat battery. 

[tander]

Great thing you are doing. My little city own lake has a can but I pick up trash very time I fish and throw in in the barrel. Hard to believe people will not walk a few yards to throw trash away.

 

[Russ E]

the county has trash barrels all over the local lake here in Kansas City Kansas. Nearly every place you can access the water has a barrel nearby . 

it amazes and disgusts me to see worm boxes, beer and pop cans, and all other forms of trash laying 10 feet from the barrels.

Fortunately the county has workers that travel around the lake cleaning up after these  slobs.

The one plus is access from shore is very limited on this lake. 

there are a lot of good shore anglers here, but there are also a lot of bums.

 

[Rollincoal420]

That's great its making a difference. We (a local jeep club) did the same thing and placed a handful of trash cans on a local trail system.   Its amazing how much,  simply providing a receptacle,  will encourage people to use it, yet it also proves an amazing fact that people don't even care unless that said receptacle is there.  

 

I've always carried a bag for trash, always made sure anyone with me understands that no trash leaves the jeep, to include cigarette butts, and I always pack out more than I pack in.  

 

Thanks for bringing this to the forum.

[chitura]

When I had access to a popular lake, there were five of us who would go out picking up trash after the major summer holidays.  Once one of the residents saw how much trash was picked up after Labor day, she organized a lake cleanup monthly with other residents.  They also should bring back the crying Indian commercial campaign!

[NHBull]

There are several places in NH where barrels have been removed as state studies show, areas with barrels tended to have more litter.  There was no way the state could keep up with emptying them.  They went withh the "carry in, carry out" signs and it worked best and have

To say it is working at the major train heads.

 

 

[Oregon Native]

12 hours ago, tander said:

Great thing you are doing. My little city own lake has a can but I pick up trash very time I fish and throw in in the barrel. Hard to believe people will not walk a few yards to throw trash away.

 

Not any more!!

[Djf3864]

Nice of you to take this on, hopefully the community that uses that lake/pond keeps doing their part.

[Pro Logcatcher]

I never brought bags for trash at my local pond but I always put it in my bass bag. I finally stopped doing it when I was literally digging through trash to get to my lures. People are slobs.

[BaitMonkey1984]

Yes, this littering issue drives me crazy. I simply do not get it. I will now in my older years make a conscious effort to remove at least one piece of trash every time I am out fishing, hiking, hunting etc. I understand that some is inadvertent but fail to understand what is clearly blatant littering.

 

Just a few weeks ago I was hiking a trail in the white mountains that had a free shelter you could camp at. It was a large lean to with room for 10 people, fire pits, some fire wood already cut etc and some people decided to leave there empty beer cans and other trash in the shelter. I cannot fathom how people can consciously little in these gorgeous areas such as mountains and lakes and ruin the aesthetics, and especially puzzled they will destroy areas where the state is providing great services at no cost. Rant over. 

[Airman4754]

The litter thing ticks me off to no end. What person goes to a nice little spot on a piece of water and thinks leaving garbage is an appropriate action?

[TOXIC]

We all do what we can.  Sometimes it feels like you can't win!!  As for the Potomac where I spend a lot of my time, every time we get a rain, all of the feeder creeks act like a trash chute to the river and bring storm water waste from city streets, trash from many sources that are upstream (even landfills, etc.) and if we get a big rain, it's not unusual to see full size home appliances and things like semi truck tires...on the rims!!  My point being that it's just not the users of the river, it's the nature of the beast and we are always working against it.  

[XpressJeff]

Good for you!

 

I filled the deck of my boat on the way back to the launch the other day, minnow buckets, Gatorade bottles, coffee cups, worm bags, was worm cups. It's sickening!

[charliepff]

Nice job. 

 

We usually find enough trash we can not carry it back in the kayak. We tried to donate cans, bags, and fishing line recycling stations to the WMA Shannondale Springs boat ramp areas and they told be no. They would rather just pick the trash up off the ground. I never ever thought I would ever be told something like that. I am glad you are able to do that and correct an epidemic issue.

[Further North]

One of the biggest reasons landowners on the water (lakes, rivers, streams) get upset about public access is that a significant percentage of the public are slobs and either leave trash directly in their property, or chuck it in the water and it floats ashore.

 

I know fishermen who sink their empty beer bottles over the side of the boat, who don't chop up fishing line they are going to throw out, and who don't police the launch when they leave.

 

It's unfortunate, but we are often our own worst representatives.

 

I really like this idea - thanks Fishing Rhino!