Museum of Litter

The 22nd Challenge

On Earth Day 2010, I remember someone making a comment about the hype of Earth Day. His point was everyone seemed to feel they were doing so much if they attended a one-day-a-year Earth Day event. He said we should be pitching in on a regular basis (I agree). As Earth Day is always celebrated on the 22nd, he suggested using the 22nd each month to do something special. I LIKE that idea! Also the number 22 has special significance to me -- it's my birthday. So, whoever you are*, thank you for that great idea. I'm running with it. I'm issuing:
 
 The Monthly 22nd Challenge
Using the 22nd as a reminder, what can we each do? Look around as you go through your day. Are there 22 pieces of litter you can pick up? Can you pick up everything in a 22 foot radius? Can you pick up litter for 22 minutes or even 22 seconds?
 
These are the first 22 pieces of litter I saw this morning. It took me a little more than 22 seconds, but not much -- probably 2 or 3 minutes at the most. Some of the pieces are very small pieces of plastic or cigarette butts. They are what I consider the worst... so small that they are easily ingested but not digested by wildlife causing birds, fish and turtles to die. This may not be a lot picked up, but every single piece is important.

Every litter bit hurts. Every little bit helps.
 
I'd love to hear from you. Let's start a conversation about litter to make those who are unaware more conscious. Please share your ideas and experience. *LIKE* us on Facebook.  If you take photos I invite you to post them on Facebook's Museum of Litter page.

If you're on Twitter, follow @MuseumofLitter. Together we can #twitterlittteraway.
 
* I wish I'd remember who's idea using the 22nd was so I could give credit. If it was you or you know who it was, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due. Thanks!
 
 

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?

eBay auction of Painting @ $.99 for 40th Anniversary of Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day this painting will be auctioned on eBay, April 16-25 with a starting bid of 99 cents. With NO reserve. One hundred percent -- 100% -- of the profit goes to the Museum of Litter to help fund litter prevention awareness, education and events. Seaside Stroll, Acrylic on Canvas, 43 x 37,  Copyright 2009, by Sharon Huff

This painting shows, what I believe is, the most important place for litter prevention and litter removal -- the shore. If you care about the environment you are probably familiar with the Pacific garbage patch. If so, you know that much of our plastic and debris ends up in the ocean and in the bodies of birds, fish and turtles. And now unfortunately, another gyre has been discovered off the east coast; the Great Atlantic  Garbage Patch. At the shore, we can stop beach litter from going into the ocean and we can retrieve ocean litter as it arrives with each new tide.

The Museum of Litter needs your help. Please help generate interest (and much needed funds for the Museum of Litter) by sharing this auction with family, friends, Facebook and tweets.

Click here to see eBay auction

You're not just buying art, you're supporting litter prevention. It’s a great gift for you or an eco friend and you'll feel good knowing the money goes towards helping  keep our environment clean and green.

Original painting is on view at Frame 'n Art Gallery, 235 Commercial Boulevard, Lauderdale by the Sea, FL 33308. If winning bid is local, painting can be picked up or delivered. If winning bid is out of the area, the canvas will be removed from stretcher bars, rolled up and mailed in a tube. If you have any questions, email me at Sharon@MuseumofLitter.org

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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.

Why do you Litter?

"Why do you litter?" I asked, from across the table.

A few minutes before, I was about to enter a restaurant, with two others, when one in our party, a relative I'll just call Paul, pitched the remains of his cigarette to the curb. I laughed, saying, "Sorry, I'll have to give you one of these," as I handed him a 'Thank You for Your Donation' card from the Museum of Litter.

As we were seated waiting for the waitress, Paul looked over the card which, on the back, informs a litterer how long it takes commonly littered items to decompose.

I asked Paul, "Can I ask you why you litter? When I see people litter, I always wonder what they're thinking. I'd really like to know."

"To tell you the truth," he volunteered, " I don't really litter. I keep everything in my van and throw it out once a week. I only toss cigarette butts. I'll tell you why. It probably sounds strange coming from someone who likes to smoke, but the butts stink and I don't want to smell up my van."

I told Paul I could understand his reasoning and offered my mother's solution. In her car, she put out her cigarettes in a plastic cup filled with baking soda. That eliminated odor in her car until she could throw the butts out in a trash can.

We talked a little more about where cigarette butts end up, in the storm drains, the water supply, the ocean, ingested by fish, fowl and turtles. Paul knew the filters contained plastic but had never thought about what happened to the butts once they left his hand. He freely admitted, "I guess it's really selfish of me just being concerned about myself and the smell in my van."

That didn't stop Paul from littering a couple of more times in my presence. He's been smoking since he was nine so the habit is automatic. However, he did it with a self conscious laugh that shows at least he's catching himself thinking about it. It's Paul's choice, but at least now he'll make it consciously.

Thank you, Paul, for having that honest conversation about littering. If more of us could have that conversation we could quickly find a way that would work for smokers and the environment.

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 -- June 7, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

The beach was pretty clean this morning. The beach raker had already been there so I don't know how much litter it had already picked up. Anyway, I concentrate near the shore so that litter doesn't go out to sea.

 

I picked up one small plastic bag worth of litter between 8 and 9am between Anglin's Fishing Pier and  Palm Portal. Was glad to have picked up a couple of deflated balloons with ribbon attached. Hopefully saved a turtle, fish or bird. Also removed several pieces of broken glass.

I came upon a strangely captivating site: an unattended balloon, weighted slightly by a green plastic beach shovel. It seemed to have a life of its own as it bobbled in the wind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs9hNsRdHkI  Aware this was potential litter-in-the-making, I couldn't help but cheer the balloon on in its attempt for freedom,  even as I wondered where it would come to rest.  Fascinated, I watched its progress until a young mother came to reclaim it. 

40 WAYS TO BE PLASTIC FREE

 

If you saw the depressingly beautiful video Plastic Kills Sea Turtles

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67JRaWmdhls

 

you might be interested in inventive ways to reduce your plastic consumption. Check out:

 

http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/2007/10/list.html

PLASTIC KILLS SEA TURTLES

 

This hauntingly beautiful video about Sea Turtles is a great visual reminder of why it's so important to eliminate litter on the beach and in the ocean:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67JRaWmdhls

 

This is why the Museum of Litter picks up all the miniscule pieces of plastic at the ocean's edge. Sometimes people comment our beach is clean. Even on days it looks clean, you'd be amazed at the quantity of tiny pieces of plastic along the shore. We invite you to join us in eliminating litter. Even if you're traveling it's easy to carry a small plastic bag and collect debris. It's very pleasant and will make you feel good about helping the planet. 

 

Every litter bit hurts. Every little bit (picked up) helps.