JUST SAY NO TO PLASTIC STRAWS
Mark your calendar: Saturday, February 17, 2018 is the next Adopt-A-Highway Litter Pickup on Highway 280. JUST THE FACTS: Date: Saturday, January 6, 2018. Location: Highway 280 NB between Meridian Avenue and Saratoga Avenue Time: About 3 hours – 9:15 AM -12:15 PM. Participants: 9 volunteers. I was joined by veteran volunteers Crista, John, Pam, Marty, Charlie, Agnes, Diana and her son. Sabine was absent again, visiting her mother. What we collected: 30 total bags, 3 of which were recyclable aluminum cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles. Any cash? $7.25. Oddities along with the trash (http://www.louitucker.com/Trash/TrashathonPics.html) ▸ A Raiders antenna flag ▸ Two hoodies, in good condition ▸ Five Botts dots, the square kind ▸ An insulated tote, like a lunch box ▸ Two pairs of shoes in good condition ▸ A container of spray deodorant, still plenty in it ▸ A dildo. Realistic brown, flexible silicon. No, I did not include a photo. ▸ 39 (count ‘em!) mini Gallo bottles, the little 187 ml ones, plus the cardboard containers. Story below. ▸ A Sheriff Woody doll. Except for being a bit dirty, he's in good shape. Some kid browsing at the Goodwill Store is going to love him! THOSE CURSED GALLO BOTTLES Sabine was not able to work on this month’s crew but the minute she saw me sorting the recycling and setting out the rows of those little bottles she said, “You must have cleaned the Meridian off-ramp!” We have found these little bottles EVERY time we clean this area, always in the same spot, always with the cardboard cartons. I don’t think they are getting tossed out of a car because there would be more broken bottles and they wouldn’t all be in precisely the same spot every time. Is some group actually congregating out there at night, in the cold, drinking cheap wine? Wouldn’t buying a jug of it be cheaper? Yes, there are homeless camps along that off-ramp, but they are higher up, next to the wall, so why climb down to a very visible location to drink? I just don’t get it! SAY NO TO PLASTIC STRAWS You’ve read my rants about plastic bags and plastic water bottles and styrofoam. Are ready for my latest target? Plastic straws. According to various websites, over 500 million (!) plastic straws are used each day (!) in the United States. And that’s JUST the United States! People seem to expect a plastic straw with every drink when they eat out. The glass will get washed and reused, but that straw is designed to be used exactly once. Talk about waste! They are discarded without a thought and are another gratuitous source of plastic pollution. I can’t tell you how many dozens our AAH volunteers see every month on our short 2.5 mile stretch of highway. The answer is so easy. Just say no. If you’re offered a plastic straw at a restaurant, just say no. You drink out of a glass at home, don’t you? If you don’t like ice bumping against your teeth and a straw seems like the only way to avoid that happening, there are many great alternatives: stainless steel, glass, bamboo, edible (yes!). I’d even accept a hard plastic reusable straw. You can buy an 8-pack of metal straws ($9.99 at Amazon), and keep a few in your car, purse, backpack, etc. You can buy them straight or bent, in several colors, and some packages come with a cleaning brush. One of my friends who just got her first stainless steel straw says it makes the drink feel colder. Two great websites explain it better than I can:
https://thelastplasticstraw.org
http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/no-straw-please/
REMINDER: THE NEXT TRASH PICKUP WILL BE SATURDAY, February 17, 2018. Dates in the future: March 17 and April 14. Feel free to pass these reports along to friends and invite them to join the clean-up brigade next month! We are always looking for new volunteers. Loui
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