Who is the biggest litterbug???

Rocky_Road · Aug 4, 2009

Every September volunteers around the globe come together for a common cause, to help rid our oceans and waterways of trash and debris. As a result of the 2008 International Coastal Cleanup, an estimated 17,000 miles of coastline was cleaned. Nearly 400,000 volunteers from 42 states and 104 countries picked up nearly 11.5 millon pieces of trash weighing 6.8 millon pounds.

The results were seperated into 10 catagories. Can you guess the one catagory that accounted for almost 1/3rd (30.9%) of all of the trash picked up...?

P.S. I just read this in a boating magazine that arrived today. If you get the same issue...vote, but PLEASE don't give away the answer!

KurtG · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

are we talking pieces or weight?

for pieces, I vote butts, might change my guess if we are talking weight.

I can't stand smokers.

skargo · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

I used to be a smoker, I quit 8 years ago. That being said, our smoking customers **** me off!

I spent over $100 to buy two extinguishing ashtrays by our shop's entrance, yet every single day, I pick up the nasty pig's butts. Some are within INCHES of the godamn ashtrays.

People suck.

Huron Angler · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

I voted for plastic/paper bags since they blow all around and get snagged on anything...also I do smoke and I agree with the comments regarding careless litterbug smokers.

Just wanted to weigh in and say that I do not litter, I bring ALL my trash back with me but I know that I am in the minority of ignorant smokers in the world.

I don't even throw little bits of fishing line- if we all did that the world would be a huge gargabe dump in a few generations.

SS MAYFLOAT · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

I live by the Old Lincoln Highway. I find all kind of things in my yard. I do know that from my house, I cannot see cigarette butts, but I sure can see the beer bottles/cans, food wrappers, used diapers, newspapers, and the such the most.

Around the lake I frequent, most of the trash is from bank fishermen. They leave their bait containers, fishing line, beverage, and food trash behind. Its sad when there are trash cans that are provided.

CN Spots · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

Around here it's plastic bottles but that's just what I see around the shore, no telling the mess that's on the bottom.

If it were Alaska I'd say rope. Watched an episode of Survivorman where he picked up a truckload of rope and nets in a small, secluded bay.

NoKlu · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

I seen that one. He climbed the hill to get fresh water and took a paddle with him so he could fill the handle and bring some back to the camp. I always wondered why he never took the 5 gallon pail or the numerous bottles that were laying around to haul water with. That guy is hilarious!

fdmsiv · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

Gulf of Mexico currents drop just about anything that falls into the gulf onto Padre Island on the TX coast. There is a state park that is 70 miles long, the park rangers only clean about the first 5 miles. Not only would you not believe what winds up there but the number of plastic bottles is astounding. I guess alot of this stuff just blows off boat and rigs and ends up there.

Huron Angler · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

This is one of the "patches" of floating litter in the pacific...pretty wretched

Rocky_Road · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

Huron Angler said:
This is one of the "patches" of floating litter in the pacific...pretty wretched

Holy moley!

Is this picture real? Is there a story that goes with it...that you can link?

fishrdan · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

^^^ WOW, looks like that guy could get out and walk across that mess.

Last trip at the launch ramp I saw 4-5 pieces of trash sitting on the dock in a nice neat pile, couple of bottles, chip bag, etc. Cursing under my breath I put someone else's trash in the truck, pulled up 100' and deposited them in the garbage dumpster

Some people are &*#)@&%$*#@^&$(#@() lazy pigs.

If you didn't bring your mom with you, clean up after yourself!

Rant off...

Side note: The water district in a town close by closed a reservoir because 1 specific group of people (won't name any names) would go out there and leave, loaded diapers, beer cans/bottles, fast food wrappers (anything they brought and didn't want to haul back) sitting on the shore line. The reservoir was owned by the water district and they had enough, a few ruined it for the many...

Huron Angler · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

The proper caption for the photo: "a scavenger paddles a canoe through the garbage vortex near a Manila waterway in the Philipines"

Here is a link for the photo...scroll down to see it

"drifting 'trash vortex' contains about 100 million tons of flotsam"

:

fishrdan · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

Interesting article...

I was on a boat/ship a hundred miles or so off the coast one time and saw several bags of trash sitting up in the bow, that's where they would keep it so it wasn't in the way. Next morning the bow was clean

I was guessing they stowed it during the night. That night at 0' dark thirty I had to visit the head because nature was calling, when I stepped up on the deck I saw one of the guys pitching the 5-6 huge bags of garbage into the drink...

No wonder there is a floating patch of debris like that...

gonefishie · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

SS MAYFLOAT said:
I live by the Old Lincoln Highway. I find all kind of things in my yard. I do know that from my house, I cannot see cigarette butts, but I sure can see the beer bottles/cans, food wrappers, used diapers, newspapers, and the such the most.

Around the lake I frequent, most of the trash is from bank fishermen. They leave their bait containers, fishing line, beverage, and food trash behind. Its sad when there are trash cans that are provided.

This is from a lake near my place. It has no boat access so just bank fishing only. I took this picture because I was disgusted with this image all around this lake.

Gary H NC · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

Its a shame the crap people throw in the water.
I voted plastic bottles but see many beer cans and bottles too.

The launch we use has trash cans everywhere and we still see trash on the ground and floating in the lake.
We carry a trash bags in the cuddy and nothing goes in the water.
I smoke but use a empty soda can in the drink holder that goes in the trash when i get home and clean the boat out.

It makes me sick how nasty some people are.The bank fisherman are the worst with empty bait containers,beer cans,food wrappers and even found a plastic bag full of toilet paper and crap!...( Gag )...

Rocky_Road · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

gonefishie said:
This is from a lake near my place. It has no boat access so just bank fishing only. I took this picture because I was disgusted with this image all around this lake.

Five, maybe six, catagories in this picture alone....

I had a friend in my boat one day, who polished off a beer and proceeded to toss the empty bottle about 30 yards away. I didn't get angry, but pointed out that we could have hit just such a floating bottle while we were cruising around 35 mph, reaching our spot. He knows just how much time, and money, that I put into my rig...and I could see the shame enter his expression. Without saying a word, he pulled off his t-shirt and jumped into the water to retrieve his bottle. Our friendship doubled that day....

Mark42 · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

I have to say that the plastic trash is the most invasive. When we load up the boat and head off to an isolated boat access only beach, the only trash that seems to wash up on shore is plastic. Bottles, plates, kids sand toys (shovels, buckets, molds, etc). Paper seems to disintegrate in short order. Glass bottles and cans sink. Its the plastic that washes up on shore.

We clean up the area around us when we leave so it is cleaner than when we came.

Woodnaut · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

Plastic is choking our planet and the seas are brearing the worst of it. It's great that plastic is recycleable, but only if we put it in the recycle bin. Arrgh.

If a seawater sample is taken anywhere along America's coastline and analyzed, it will be found to contain numerous plastic particles which are in an extremely slow decay cycle. This fact has changed the way I handle plastic. Now, I recycle just about every stinking bit of it that comes into my posession. (And even some that doesn't.)

I recall seeing a commercial on TV when I was younger which was of an American Indian. He was looking over a bunch of litter that was dumped on the ground. The commercial ended with a tear forming in his eye. At the time I thought it was kind of a dumb commercial. Now I get it.

Again, Arrgh.

kenmyfam · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

In reality I am going with plastic anything, especially bottles. Have you ever seen what the cruise ships dump in the ocean ???

CN Spots · Aug 4, 2009

Re: Who is the biggest litterbug???

Gary H NC said:
Its a shame the crap people throw in the water.
I voted plastic bottles but see many beer cans and bottles too.

The launch we use has trash cans everywhere and we still see trash on the ground and floating in the lake.
We carry a trash bags in the cuddy and nothing goes in the water.
I smoke but use a empty soda can in the drink holder that goes in the trash when i get home and clean the boat out.

It makes me sick how nasty some people are.The bank fisherman are the worst with empty bait containers,beer cans,food wrappers and even found a plastic bag full of toilet paper and crap!...( Gag )...

Foiled attempt at the old "flaming turdbag out side of the tent" gag?

Who is the biggest litterbug???

Who is the biggest litterbug???

Beverage bottles (glass)

Beverage cans

Beverage bottles (plastic)

Food wrappers/containers

Bags (paper and plastic)

Cigarettes/cigarette filters

Caps/lids

Cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons

Rope

Straws, stirrers

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