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.

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.

FOUND: Dog Tag; Pompano Beach, FL

While metal detecting and picking up litter, this dog tag was found May 1 or May 2 in the sand on the beach, just south of Atlantic Avenue in Pompano Beach, FL 33062. (Thank you Joe.)

Tag reads:

Rifflard, Justin R

589920718USN  ABPOS

NORELPREF

If you are the owner and would like it back, please contact [email protected] to have it returned. Thank you.

Found ANOTHER iPhone on FL beach in zip 33308

This is the second iPhone we've found on a Fort Lauderdale area beach this week. (I think we are meant to have iPhones -- we keep 'calling' them to us!)

This one was found on the beach in Lauderdale by the Sea, FL 33308, which is just north of Galt Ocean Mile. It was  buried in the sand, between Palm and Hibiscus portals. I am trying to track down owner. Seems they might be visiting from MO. If you know someone who recently lost their iPhone on the beach have them contact me at:

[email protected]