How Does Trash End Up in Our WaterWays?

Creating trash is a reality of modern life. Our groceries frequently come with excess packaging; our Internet purchases generally arrive in boxes full of cushioning materials. It’s inevitable for every human to produce a certain level of trash. Luckily, most of us avoid littering and responsibly throw our trash away in recycling bins, public trash cans or receptacle bins within their home. So, how does so much trash end up in our waterways? The answer may surprise you!

Most of the trash that ends up in our waterways has innocent origins. Have you ever had a loose soft drink can or water bottle in the bed of your truck and had it fly out while driving on the freeway, or wake up on trash day and realized your trash bins blew over into the street? Or maybe you added an empty fast-food bag to an overflowing public trash can?

A few loose trash items blowing down the street might not seem like a big deal, but believe us when we say that these small pieces add up. When our waterways get bogged down with trash, we have a harder time managing flood control across our community.

Here are a few suggestions for the next time you find yourself disposing of a piece of trash:

  • If you have empty fast-food bags or food to dispose of while in public, avoid piling your items on top of an already full trash can. Instead, walk your bag inside of the restaurant and ask an employee to dispose of it indoors or behind the counter.
  • Check the weather before putting your trash bins at the curb. If there’s strong wind or a thunderstorm on the forecast, refrain from putting loose boxes or smaller items out that will likely blow away.
  • Break down cardboard boxes before throwing them away to help them fit fully into the trash bin. This helps the lid of the bin to shut fully, preventing trash from blowing out of the container.
  • Clean out your car or truck of all loose trash to prevent cups, wrappers or receipts from blowing out of the vehicle.

In addition to these tips, we also recommend switching to reusable items whenever possible to reduce the amount of trash you produce.

Mark your calendar! The 33rd Annual Keep Irving Beautiful Trash Bash is scheduled for September 24th, focused on the Campion Trail running adjacent to Valley Ranch. Plan on joining in – see www.KeepIrvingBeautiful.org for more information.

For additional recommendations and updates from IFCD 3, visit our growing library of WaterWays blogs, or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

Irving Flood Control District III