Latest news with #TrashBlitz
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
You Can Help Plastic Pollution in U.S. National Parks With This App—What to Know
The 5 Gyres Institute is starting its annual initiative to track amounts of trash in National Parks. Any visitor to national parks can help by recording data about the trash they see in any U.S. park or federal land through October. The crowdsourced data is used to make scientific recommendations for reducing waste. On April 22, we'll all celebrate Earth Day. There's no better way to honor this beautiful planet than by doing our part to keep it clean. And the 5 Gyres Institute is kicking off its fourth annual Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz project to do just that. The community science initiative's mission is to track pollution trends in the U.S. National Parks and on federal lands. Of course, it doesn't just leave it there. It also enlists the help of volunteers to collect trash at "any land managed by the federal government, including the National Park Service, National Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife Service," and log their findings in the TrashBlitz app. This data, the organization noted in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure, contributes to its annual report that uncovers the top items, materials, and brands found, which also outlines science-based recommendations to reduce waste. 'For three years, TrashBlitz has served as a valuable tool in tracking waste trends across national parks. From this data, we know that single-use plastic is the worst offender, and we're seeing the same brands commonly identified in waste audits all over the world,' Nick Kemble, a program associate at 5 Gyres, shared. 'Systemic changes, like implementing reuse and refill systems and shifting to better alternatives, can have a real, immediate impact on reducing waste in national parks.' Like Kemble said, plastic has made up the majority of trash logged on the app for the past three years by an overwhelming degree. According to the group, it made up 75 percent of all waste recorded. The most common single-use plastic items included food wrappers, bottles, bottle caps/rings, cigarette butts, wipes, and fragments. As for which brands are most commonly found, that list includes Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Gatorade, Marlboro, and Camel. All this information is then used to help push more environmentally friendly legislation, including the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act, which seeks to "eliminate the sale and distribution of disposable plastic products." And this work is all the more important with the drastic cuts to national park funding. 'The TrashBlitz data from previous years underscores the urgent need to address plastic pollution in our national parks. Now is not the time to cut essential resources and personnel responsible for waste management, education, and park maintenance,' Alison Waliszewski, the director of regional policy and program development, added. 'We can all step up to help our parks during this time, and we're calling on the public to take action by collecting data that can push forward solutions.'Volunteers can take part and collect data now through October 31, 2025. See more about how to sign up at Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Your Stories Q&A: When will trash be cleared from area interstates?
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) – You ask, we answer! Viewer Question: There's so much trash on the side of I-690. When will it be cleaned up? It's the time of year when the Your Stories Team receives complaints from viewers about trash on the sides of area interstates. Whether it's 690, 81, 481, or exit ramps, we routinely get emails from people wondering why there's so much litter on the side of the road. Much of the sentiment is that it's a bad look for the region as visitors pass through. It's far from a new problem and new question. When the snow melts, the litter that's been thrown and blown from passing cars is easy to spot. The YS Team reached out to the NYSDOT to see if there's a plan in place to pick up roadside litter. We were sent the following statement: The New York State Department of Transportation takes the issue of trash on our roadways – which becomes especially prevalent each year at the end of the snow and ice season – seriously and dedicates significant resources to litter pickup. NYSDOT crews routinely collect trash from along roadways in our system, including Interstate 690 in Onondaga County, as part of normal maintenance activities, weather permitting. Everyone, however, can play a role in preventing trash from accumulating along our roadsides. Litter is unsightly and harmful to the environment, which is why we all need to practice good disposal habits and encourage others to do the same. Clean roadways are safer for everyone and allow highway crews to focus on infrastructure maintenance and repair. While the NYSDOT didn't provide specifics on the type of manpower dedicated to picking up trash, we do know they participate in an annual statewide 'Trash Blitz' that happens during Earth Week in April. If you see a trouble spot, where debris needs to be cleared from the interstate or from the side of the road, you can report it to the NYSDOT Traffic Maintenance Center at (315) 426-2131. Submit a form. Your Stories Q&A: When will trash be cleared from area interstates? Preble's cemetery takes a huge hit and seeks the community's help Your Stories Q&A: What's the latest on plans to redevelop the old Great Northern Mall? Your Stories Q&A: What's next for the land that used to be home to a landmark restaurant in Canastota? Your Stories Q&A: More complaints about potholes at Great Northern Mall in Clay Your Stories Q&A: A cheese-centric restaurant about to open in Eastwood Your Stories Q&A: Is Drakos Urgent Care still coming to Camillus? Your Stories Q&A: New plans for an old pizza and ice cream shop in Lysander Your Stories Q&A: Denny's in Camillus closes abruptly after 25 years Your Stories Q&A: Another Walgreens to close in CNY, this time in Cicero Your Stories Q&A: Here's what's moving into the closed Outback Steakhouse in Clay Your Stories Q&A: Drive-thru coffee stand to open near Sweetheart Corner Your Stories Q&A: Why am I being charged a recycling fee when buying paint? Your Stories Q&A: Why does it take so long for bags to make it to baggage claim? Your Stories Q&A: Will this weekend be the last time we change the clock for good? Your Stories Q&A: What is the towering yellow contraption I see on I-481? Your Stories Q&A: Why are a handful of dollar stores in the area closed? Your Stories Q&A: How to report a pothole Your Stories Q&A: Nationwide shortage means some secondary roads in Clay are not getting salted Your Stories Q&A: New York Thruway Authority once again alerting people to ongoing scam Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
