This Saturday, October 10, volunteers will clean the French Broad River, starting at the Asheville Outdoor Center at 521 Amboy Road. Asheville GreenWorks, a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, has organized Buncombe County’s participation in this international cleanup effort for over 15 years.
Buncombe County’s cleanup is part of the annual NC Big Sweep, which in turn is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, a global effort to rid our environment of debris. According to Ocean Conservancy, who created the International Coastal Cleanup, North Carolina had the third largest number of volunteers in the nation in 2008. Only California and Florida had more volunteers than North Carolina. In 2008, NC Big Sweep had more than 18,000 volunteers.
In 2008, 250 Asheville GreenWorks volunteers removed 10,000 pounds of trash, debris and tires from the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers.
The top 10 items found during the 2008 NC Big Sweep were cigarettes, food wrappers and containers, plastic beverage bottles, bags, beverage cans, glass beverage bottles, caps and lids, plates and eating utensils, straws and stirrers, and building materials. More than 85 percent of all debris retrieved by volunteers in North Carolina were these top 10 items.
Among the more unusual finds were false teeth, a briefcase, fire hydrants, a pink horseshoe, explosives, a bag of money, EKG tags, and a cement-filled wheelbarrow.
These waterways cleanups are important because litter can last hundreds of years in our environment. Before it decomposes, litter can hurt our economy. Businesses don’t want to locate in trashy areas. Tourists won’t linger, won’t spend money, won’t return and will discourage others from visiting.
Litter is a human health hazard. It attracts disease-carrying mosquitoes and rodents. As litter decomposes, it leaches chemicals into our groundwater. People are injured by accidentally stepping on litter.
“Litter is deadly to wildlife when they eat or become entangled in it,” said Judy Bolin, NC Big Sweep president. “Last year, 23 entangled animals were found during the Big Sweep cleanups.”
I went. Had a ball. Thanks for promoting this event.