Category Archives: Litter-Free Digital Journal

Citizen Science

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For my second blog post, I decided to participate in a citizen science clean-up project. My roommate and I had already planned on going to the Hazel Parker Playground’s dog park located on East Bay Street, which is part of our regular weekly routine. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take some bags and gloves and pick up litter.

I didn’t suspect the amount of trash I would find in such a small vicinity. As soon as I started my clean-up, first finding a bottle cap and an old newspaper, I ended up collecting one thing after another. It was shocking to find so much trash in such a short amount of time. I visit the dog park at least three times a week and it always appeared relatively clean and kept-up with. This project helped me realize that litter is so prominent, especially in the areas that I frequently visit and pass by. Because it’s not something I’m actively looking for, I often find myself overlooking this immense issue. It’s unfortunate that it took this project to truly open my eyes to the problem, but I’m happy that I decided to do it. It was also encouraging that my roommate was so willing to help me walk around and collect the trash.

I found myself feeling optimistic while picking up the litter. It almost became a sort-of game; picking up one wrapper and then spotting and running to another piece of trash to collect. Although I was only working and focusing on a relatively small space, it still felt empowering to feel like I was making at least a small difference in the community. Other people at the park spotted my roommate and I walking around and picking up the waste and proceeded to ask us what we were doing out of curiosity. After explaining my intentions, they were all encouraging and positive about our actions. This also contributed to my optimism, because maybe at least one other person had walked away with the urge to make a difference. Picking up litter can be as easy as just spotting something on the ground on your walk to class. Waste is unfortunately all over our community, but if we all adapt the mindset that change can be accomplished with action, we could definitely see big changes.

This activity connects to our class because it highlights the importance of cleaning up and contributing to our community and environment. We’re all aware that litter is detrimental to our ecosystems. Especially since we’re so close to the coast, floating trash can negatively impact species and wildlife. Within about 10 minutes of walking around, I alone picked up 11 different paper/cardboard debris, 2 plastic caps and a lid, an empty cigarette pack, and a few more various items. A good amount of the trash I collected was embedded in leaves and even stuck in the fences surrounding the park. It’s frustrating to know that there are those who aren’t as conscious of their actions or impacts on the environment. Hopefully with more awareness and knowledge about this issue, change is inevitable.

Litter Pick Up

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A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to participate in the litter pick up coordinated by the Office of Sustainability. They do it every Friday and is actually the project of an OoS intern this semester. Around five of us met up at the office and learned a little about what the South Carolina Aquarium is doing to study local environmental issues such as plastic pollution, sea level rise, and invasive species. The aquarium has created a Citizen Science app that has a Litter-free Digital Journal that tracks pollution trends in the low country as well as encourages locals to pick up litter in their communities. Using this app, we’d be able to send in our findings to be part of a collective database that scientists can use to develop solutions for pollution.

The OoS has actually adopted the corner of Coming and Calhoun adjacent from the Addlestone Library, and that’s where the weekly pick ups happen. Since we are a tobacco free campus, a lot of students just cross the street for smoke breaks and leave their butts on the ground. There’s also a crazy amount of food trash in the bushes lining the sidewalk on Calhoun. Whenever I walk by I always try to pick up a few pieces to throw away, but I can’t stop for everything or I’d never get to class. That’s why this event was perfect for me to go to – and I actually got to talk with other students who are really bothered by the amount of litter all over our beautiful campus.

After the pick up I stayed to help sort what we collected into trash, recycling, and e-waste (electronics). The numbers were crazy. We had over 400 cigarette butts/filters, 5 juul pods, over 100 pieces of small plastic debris, over 20 pieces of metal, 20 or so bottles/cans and a few broken phone chargers/earphones. And to think, this all had accumulated since the last litter pick up only a week ago. And if we hadn’t gone and picked it all up, I don’t think anyone else would.  There’s this throw away culture we have that fails to put the responsibility of proper disposal on the consumer. People throw cigarette butts on the ground like its no big deal when it IS. It IS a big deal and the scientists and the environmentalists can’t stop things like that on their own. This event really demonstrated how instrumental intersectionality is in solving local environmental problems. We need the scientists and we need the scholars but we need the educators and the activist and the citizens as well if we really want to make anything happen.