Museum of Litter

Litter Donations from July 4, 2010, Lauderdale by the Sea, FL beach

Here are pictures of the litter left behind from the 4th of July festivities.

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It was rainy all afternoon and evening of the 4th, with intermittent scattered thunder storms, so there were not a lot of beach-goers for sun or fireworks. I picked up only four bags worth of litter this morning from behind Aruba, Anglin's Pier, Oriana and south to the Datura Portal.

Lauderdale by the Sea has a contract with a beach raker that combs the beach and picks up most of the debris. However, the equipment doesn't go to the water's edge and they are not set up to separate the recyclables. So, I concentrate on picking up litter at the shoreline (to prevent it from joining the Atlantic Garbage Patch); the recyclables and broken glass. I leave the rest for the raker; especially the fireworks, some of which did not detonate.

Of the four bags worth of litter I gathered, one bag was trash, two bags were recyclables and the fourth bag was my 'pick of the litter' to add to the Museum of Litter's collections.

Litter Donations -- July 19, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

This is the litter collected along the shoreline this morning. I started behind Windjammer at the Datura Portal, and headed north, ending just north of Anglin's Pier where the trash and recycling containers are located behind Aruba.  The bag on the right is litter that was able to be recycled.

As I walked back south I picked up more litter. The stuff in the bag on the left I considered 'keepers.' I took it home, washed it, put it in the sun to dry and will upcycle it by making art from it.

Litter Donations -- July 8, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

At sunrise picked up 4 bags within an hour.

Starting at 6:30 am, walked north from Windjammer, to Anglin's Pier and ended behind Aruba Beach Cafe where there are both garbage and recycling containers. I concentrated on picking up along shoreline, but if I saw plastic bottles or cans in the dry sand, I picked those up. By the time I reached the recycling containers behind Aruba I had collected 3 full bags. The 2 bags on the left are recycling and other bag is miscellaneous litter, including, my personal 'favorite' -- a dirty diaper!

On the way back south I collected one more bag. The fourth bag included some recycling that had to be thrown away as there are no recycling containers at the entrance/exit to beach just south of the pier.

Litter Donations June 29, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

Collected litter for about an hour this morning, from 7 to 8 am, mostly along the tideline at the shore. I walked from the portal behind Windjammer to Anglin's Pier, ending behind Aruba.  Just south of the pier I picked up a LOT of balloon pieces -- just the top part where it is tied. I must have picked up about 10 or 15 of these.

Met a nice woman named O'Dallas who thanked me and volunteered to take my picture.

Noticed the recycling containers were moved so signs can be read when leaving the beach with garbage and recycling. Good move!

Look at the littered water bottle in the foreground of second picture. It totally amazes me someone could just drop litter so close to a trash or recycling container. Wouldn't you just love to get inside their head and know what they're thinking?

  Litter Donations -- June 17, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

Picked up three and a half bags of litter this morning in a half hour from 8:00 - 8:30 am. (Third full bag not shown.) This was picked up from behind Windjammer heading north to just north of Anglin's pier behind Aruba. The brown bag (1/2 bag) was filled with things I took home, washed, sanitized and will make art from, or add to the museum's collection. Of the two white bags, the one on the right was throw-away trash and the one on the left is full of plastic & glass bottles and aluminum cans that were recycled in this recycle bin.

I think a lot more people would recycle their beach waste if the recycle signs were on both sides of the receptacle. Here is a picture of the same bins from the other side. You only see the signs when you enter the beach, not when you are leaving the beach with your trash. This morning I saw a young  kid walk from the shore with an aluminum can and throw it into the garbage. He probably didn't realize there was recycling.  If we could just duplicate the signs so they are on BOTH sides, we would make a lot of progress in our recycling efforts.

Litter Donations - June 4, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

Blue skies... What a welcome site.

Pick-up this morning started at 7 am behind Windjammer. Headed north, past Orianna, the Pier and ended behind Aruba. Picked up three bags full from 7:00 to 7:30am. Headed back south with one empty bag. Didn't expect to fill it, but I did fill the fourth bag by the time I arrived back at Datura Portal around 8 am.

Just south of Windjammer got to see a special treat: a recent sea turtle nest. Watched the turtle patrol dig the eggs out by hand to relocate them to a safer spot.

Litter Donation -- June 3, 2009 - Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

Intermittent rain and storms for weeks, ..... this morning was no exception.

Eastern sky looked ominous with rain heading our way. Headed out around 7:30 am. Picked up litter along shoreline between seaweed and surf, while keeping an eye on the weather. In 1/2 hour collected one bag full while walking North from Windjammer, past Anglin's Pier, stopping just behind Aruba. I like to end at the Commercial portal because that is where the recycling container is and I find a lot of recyclables, especially near the pier. Box in front of plastic bag is from a box of chum.

Litter Donations -- Friday, May 29, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

The beach was mostly litter-free this morning -- probably because it's a weekday and it's been rainy, so the beach has been less crowded.  Walked the shoreline heading North from behind Windjammer,  under Commercial Pier and as far as High Noon. In about an hour, collected only about half a small bag's worth of litter. Find of the day ( from behind Aruba ) :  a wrapper from a glow in the dark condom. I already know the artwork I'll make with that ... to be announced!