Sometimes, one man’s trash is…another man’s beach trash.
A morning cruising the beach in a Gator should be fun. And keeping an eye on things at a state park beach is a great way to spend some time outdoors.
But as a park host at Mustang Island State Park in Corpus Christi, Texas, I also clean up beach trash swept in by the tide. That chore can quickly become overwhelming and depressing.
Despite picking up multiple buckets and bags of beach trash every day, park hosts know that every day, it will look like we haven’t been out in a while. It can even look that way later the same day!
The beach trash is comprised of nearly anything you can think of. However, plastic is by far the number one debris we are picking up.
So, the next time you go shopping and pick up that “disposable” product, remember there’s no such thing as disposable. You’re just transferring it someplace else — perhaps to a beach near me!
The trash I’ve collected runs the gamut, including things as odd as DVDs. And I’ve collected a ridiculous number of plastic bottles, from small water bottles to large laundry detergent containers. And the number of plastic bottle caps is insane.
It’s not all because people leave trash around, although that’s some of it. Much of it comes in with the tide. So it’s from ships, recreational boats, other countries, U.S. rivers, and more.
We’ve written about how RVers could teach homeowners a lot about conservation. But often, we see RVers and campers forget all the recycling efforts they make at home when using up a ton of disposable products while camping.
The bottom line is that people need to create less waste overall. Please don’t assume it’s “gone” when you put it in a trash container. It never leaves; it just moves away from you.
From online research about beach trash:
Quantifying the exact amount of trash floating in the Gulf of Mexico is challenging due to the dynamic nature of marine debris and variations in data collection methods. However, several studies provide insights into the scale and composition of the problem:
- Marine Debris in the Gulf: Plastic constitutes 69-95% of all marine debris in the Gulf of Mexico. Accumulation rates vary significantly by region. For example, Texas barrier islands experience debris accumulation rates up to ten times higher than other Gulf states.
- Sources of Beach Trash: Approximately 80% of marine debris originates from land-based sources. These include the Mississippi River, which acts as a conduit for trash from inland areas to the Gulf. The Mississippi alone contributes significant amounts of waste, predominantly plastic.
- Seasonal Variations: Debris accumulation tends to increase during spring and summer. This is due to heightened human activity along coastlines and changes in wind patterns that push debris ashore.
- Floating Trash Estimates: Specific tonnage estimates for floating trash in the Gulf are not readily available. However, global studies suggest that plastic pollution in oceans is immense. Some studies estimate there are tens of thousands of tons of floating plastic worldwide.
