Museum of Litter

Cuban Toothpaste safely reaches dry land on Florida beach

A toothpaste tube,  believed to have floated from Cuba, landed safely in Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida, in late July.

Julio Omaña, a Lauderdale by the Sea resident, walking with his wife Joan, spotted the plastic litter along the shore. It was discovered on dry land above the high tide line. Under the Wet Foot-Dry Foot policy, it will be allowed to remain in the United States.

Mr. Omaña turned it over to the Museum of Litter for documentation. The toothpaste, going by the name of Perla,  mint flavored, is manufactured in Cuba by Suchel. It was identified by the markings: "fabricado en cuba por Suchel."

It will be housed in the museum's "Personal Hygiene & Cosmetics Collection" where it joins toothbrushes, tooth flossers,  lipsticks, lip balms,  hair curlers, and an eyelash curler.

BP Oil Spill, Day 49 -- Happy World Ocean Day

Today we celebrate World Ocean Day. How timely.

With everyone feeling helpless regarding the Gulf Oil Spill, today is a good day to ask, what CAN I do to make a difference?

 

I started the day with an hour coastal cleanup at my Florida beach. I figure if I pick up litter, especially at the tide line, it will be prevented from joining the Atlantic Garbage patch and I'll be able to protect fish, turtles and birds that mistake it for food.

 

What can YOU do? What WILL you do?

If you live near the ocean can you pick up litter along the shore to prevent it from going into the Atlantic or Pacific Garbage Patch? Can you clean up a river or lake? Can you be more mindful, just for today, of refusing single use fast food containers? Can you bring your own coffee mug?  Your own reusable water bottle?

Even if you live nowhere near the ocean, we can all volunteer, donate, contribute in some way. Even a conversation. Bringing up World Ocean Day may just be the thing to motivate someone else to take action.

This is not an Obama problem or a BP problem. It's not even a national problem. It's an international, planetary problem. We are ALL in this together.

As the oil spill crisis continues to cloud our Gulf waters, do you think we can find the silver lining? Can we use this tragedy to come together as a global eco-community to preserve and protect the environment and ocean we all share?

Pelican dragging litter has trouble flying

Sunday afternoon, after the Lauderdale by the Sea Arts & Craft Show, sitting on the beach with friends. We saw a pelican out a ways in the water trying to fly, but having difficulty getting lift. As we watched it looked like it was dragging something a foot or two behind.

The pelican paddled to shore and came out of the water. As the surf would recede you could see there  was definitely litter of some kind a foot or two behind him, probably attached to his body with fishing line. It was very sad to feel so helpless and know there was nothing we could do to help this poor old bird.

It eventually did fly away, but with great effort. It will probably be difficult for this creature to survive. If only we were litter-free.

The Dolphin & Starbucks Litter

On Naples (FL) beach watched a dolphin frolic in the Gulf waters. The beach was relatively clean but couldn't help but notice the clear plastic Starbucks cup. We need to keep the litter off the beach and out of the water if we want to protect these beautiful creatures from ourselves.

It's the Little Things that Count

You've heard that a thousand times. It's just as true with litter.

Here in Lauderdale by the Sea, FL people say, "We have a clean beach." And basically, we do. If you look up and down the beach usually you'll see just natural, pristine, beauty. However, if you look close, especially at the tidelines in the seaweed, you'll see a lot of small bits of (mostly) plastic...bottle caps, lighters, straws, fast-food drinking cups... the list goes on & on. These things are almost invisible when you glance down the beach. Yet, that is the very thing that makes them so deadly -- that they are so small. Small enough to look like food. Small enough for your fine feathered & finned friends to eat and feed their young and then die because they can't digest our detritus.

Until litter prevention is the norm, if you'd like to help, consider taking a plastic bag with you and spending a few minutes picking up litter you encounter in your daily travels.

Litter Donations -- July 26, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

To see video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgmTlEDK2hg

This was the only litter this morning, just south of Anglin's Pier. I think it is a seat cushion for a yacht. Another beach goer and I tried to bring it out of the water but it was way too heavy even with the surf moving towards high tide. The rest of the shoreline was exceptionally clean -- nothing to pick up. So, I went swimming!

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.