Museum of Litter

Litter Donations -- June 22, 2009 -- Sanibel Island, FL and The Everglades

Went back to Sanibel's Lighthouse Beach late this morning before leaving the island and collected only cigarette butts for future litter art. It was pretty hot -- they were having a heat advisory -- so just collected a small zip lock bag full in fifteen minutes.

  On the way back to the east coast on Alligator Alley,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGijPkAxLt8&feature=channel_page

we stopped in the Everglades at a recreation area and did a quick pickup of cigarette butts and bottle caps in the parking lot.

 

 

A Sanibel Gallery now carrying Museum's Litter Art

There's a great new gallery on Sanibel Island called Art in the Tree Tops Gallery. The Museum of Litter is excited to announce the gallery has accepted four pieces of our LItter Art on consignment. Owner Barbara Manghan is enthusiastic about the art and message, and we're really glad to have our work in more venues to bring attention to litter and litter prevention. If you're in Sanibel, be sure to stop in to say hi -- tell them the Museum of Litter sent you -- and check out all the wonderful art in this gallery. It's on Periwinkle Way,1101 Periwinkle Way #102, right across the street from the Dairy Queen.

Litter Donations -- June 21, 2009 -- Sanibel Island, FL

The first photo shows one of two bags of litter collected this morning. This was picked up around 8:30 to 9:30 from Tarpon Bay Road Beach. Fortunately, Sanibel is pretty clean, although there are still lots of cigarette butts and a fair number of bottle caps. VERY impressed with Sanibel and Sanibel residents. While they can't prevent littering, the residents are very conscious about keeping the beach clean and removing litter. They do this on their own, no trucks or beach rakers are allowed on the beach. The  beach is natural, with seaweed left in place.

On the right is the second bag of litter picked up from around 10-11am at the Lighthouse beach. Lots of cigarette butts, a plastic bag, juice packs, bottle caps and miscellaneous bits of plastic. Met two interesting women from the Cape (here in FL), Pam and "C", who are in marketing and promote green businesses and are interested in the Museum of Litter. Can't wait to do something with them.

Litter Donations -- June 18, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

7 to 8:30 pm. Picked up two bags full walking along shoreline from Palm Portal north, ending at the pier. White bag on left contains only recycling. Disposed of everything in the garbage and recycling containers behind Aruba. Interacted with a few people. One couple let me know they would never leave their cigarette butts on the beach.
A young girl asked if I had any extra bags and told me "it is disgusting back there," nodding in the direction of the pier. It was. Another guy, near the pier, helped me pick up a bit. He was very knowledgeable about the damage plastic litter does to the oceans and sea creatures. And really militant about smokers. He feels they shouldn't be allowed to smoke on the beach. I don't agree. I just want them to take their butts with them. A young girl overheard him talking about the perils of plastic bottle caps, found one, and brought it to add to the collected litter.

  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 11, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

The beach was a MESS this morning. Litter everywhere. Pizza boxes, all kinds of soda, water, beer bottles.

Had an early appointment so not a lot of time to pick up this morning. I knew the Beach Raker would get this, so I just took a picture and moved on to picking up the small bits of plastic debris along the shore it can't get. (Picture below)

 The Beach Rakers are doing a great job. Have noticed them getting out of their machine and picking up large amounts of litter by hand, which is a good thing because the beer bottles and cans just get crushed by their machines and are more dangerous than if they had just been left littering the beach.  Do they recycle these bottles and cans?

In one half hour, (from 7:50 am to 8:20 am) collected one full bag of litter. Walked from Anglin's Pier, south, past the Datura Portal, and finished behind the Windjammer. 

THANK YOU to the Town of Lauderdale by the Sea for the new recycling containers. I used the one at Datura Portal and could see another one at the Hibiscus Portal. Are they at every portal? Hope so. A great addition to helping our town be green.  

WORLD OCEAN DAY -- Litter Donations -- 6/8/09 -- Lauderdale by  the Sea

Shown are 2 of the 4 bags of beach litter collected from 7:30 to 9 am. The bag on the left is full of recyclables. Fortunately there is a recycle bin at this portal. Started at Anglin's Pier and walked along the shoreline north to the northern most portal and back.

The grossest things I picked up today were a broken condom the ring end only, and a sanitary napkin. ( Iwear gloves. A runner passed me today and said, "The gloves are a good idea.") The last few days I picked up a couple of green plastic tampon inserters. It just amazes me... who comes to the beach and conducts such personal hygiene in public?

Returning to the pier area I saw a fence  -- about 4 x 5 feet --crashing in the surf near shore. I felt it would be dangerous to a swimmer. It would be almost invisible from eye level in the water. I hung around for a while trying to grab it but it never came close enough that I could safely get it so I had to leave it.

Lost & Found Department:  Gary found a cell phone on the beach while metal detecting. He answered when it rang and was able to tell the brother and the wife he had found it. They will come pick it up tomorrow.

A Creative Anti-Litter Awareness Ad in Auckland

 Certainly makes a statement! A picture is worth a thousand words...

 

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. 

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.