city solutions for mitigating trash in the waterways

http://www.slideshare.net/davedoeblerDave Doebler 954-415-7434 [email protected]

City Solutions for Mitigating Trash in the Waterways

Miami Beach Cleanup - 1.4 miles every Sunday (4 hours)

Collects about 50-75 lbs of trash every week !

Commonly found trash in Collins Canal:• Plastic shopping bags• Plastic water/soda bottles and lids• Cigarette butts (not biodegradable)• Cigarette pack plastic wrappers• Styrofoam Cups / food containers

• Plastic Straws• Plastic Food bags (potato • chips) and wrappers• Aluminum cans• Used fishing line

Dave and his Kayak

mailto:[email protected]


2012 Coastal Cleanup Day - Quantifying the problem

Source : Ocean Conservancy : http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/international-coastal-cleanup/2012-ocean-trash-index.html

2 million cigarette butts (not biodegradable)

1 million plastic bottles

1 million plastic bags

600,00 plastic straws


http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/international-coastal-cleanup/2012-ocean-trash-index.html















Ocean Gyres - aka “Plastic Garbage Patches”There are 5 major “Garbage Patches” swirling around in the Ocean Gyres. Trash is picked up by the currents and swirls around in the most remote places on earth. The “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” is the size of Texas. Watch a video to learn more : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7K-nq0xkWY


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7K-nq0xkWY





Polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) – Devestating** Biscayne and SE 7 Street Shoreline - Miami

Polystyrene is a horrendous product. Little tiny round balls are compressed into Cups, Food Containers, and Coolers. When the bond deteriorates, the little tiny pieces float for hundreds of years and are impossible to clean up. Marine life thinks this very toxic material is food, and it enters our food chain. These pictures are all Styrofoam.



Sources of this trash? • Non-bio-degradable plastic bags given by stores by default in

mass quantities (even with one item). No comprehension of the consequences.

• People throwing trash on the ground / not in a garbage can

• Cigarette smokers throwing plastic wrapper and butts on the ground

• Inconsistent placement of garbage cans

• Trash cans without lids that prevent wind blowing trash out

• Plastic bags become Urban Tumbleweeds

• Plastic waste goes down the drains and out to the waterways

• Inefficient cleaning schedule of storm water drain traps to prevent clogging and overrun of traps.



Trash from the street is allowed to go into the drains…

Trash originates at the street level and leads to FLOODING

Thus clogging them up...

Trash that makes it past ‘catch basins’ discharge to the

waterway and clog the outlet



Storm drain COMPLETELY clogged. Only a trickle of

water flows out.As I pull debris out, water starts flowing out at a significant rate.

**Washington Ct and 22nd StreetMiami Beach, 21August 25th 2013

Contents of storm drain blockage Plastic bottles Aluminum cans Plastic shopping bags Plastic cups and containers Coconut (which I cannot remove)

Once removed, storm water flows freely.

Clogged Drains increase STREET FLOODING !



• PEOPLE • Education that litter on the ground becomes litter in our oceans.

All trash in the waters comes from humans !!• Reduce consumption of non-biodegradable single use plastics

• PROPER DISPOSAL• Proper placement of trash cans - “can on every corner”• Trash cans lids that prevent wind blowing trash out• Make Recycling easy and mandatory – change the culture

• CAPTURE• Proper gratings that keep objects from flowing into storm drains

• TRAPPING• Effective filtration system and proper cleaning of storm drains

• CLEANUP• Clean the canals / waterways as we do the streets (city and

volunteer)

Solutions must focus on 5 key areas



Best Practices from other CitiesReducing litter and pollution through education

Reducing plastic bottles via water fountains and bottle refill stations

Cigarette Butt Litter Reduction



• Require water drain filter/grating/screens on all NEW road construction projects moving forward to keep small materials out (cigarette butts, plastic wrappers). Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezdqgPX8AWw

• Retrofit EXISTING water drains in high traffic areas based on cost / funding• Mark street gutters with ‘NO DUMPING – DRAINS TO THE WATERWAY’• Offer public opportunity to pay for a retrofit of a drain in memorial of someone

Preventing litter from clogging storm drains


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezdqgPX8AWw



• Implement a task force to study your situation and make recommendations• Evaluate storm drain catch basin cleaning schedule – is it often enough?• Require water drain filter/grating/screens on all NEW road construction projects Example :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezdqgPX8AWw• Review ‘Green Procurement’ policies for city facilities (city hall and sub-stations)• Require all takeout food / coffee containers / straws be biodegradable (ban Polystyrene /

Styrofoam / Straws) – Sample Text http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/plastic_campaign/polystyrene/local

• Styrofoam Ban on all beaches and all boating supplies• Trash Can Placement Survey – Start implementing a “Can on Every Corner”• Partner with Coca Cola for recycling bins and materials (http://www.cokerecycling.com)• Mandate recycling at all permitted events• Zero Litter Policy with enforcement (Rio De Janeiro recently implemented

http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/rio-lixo-zero-to-impose-fines-for-littering/

• Clean up your neighborhood volunteer corps and city sponsored monthly cleanup of litter hot-spots (post on www.volunteercleanup.org)

• Implement / Expand City Sponsored Reusable Bag distribution• Storm Drain ‘Graffiti’ to relay educational message that the drain leads to waterway• Lobby your state representative to allow you to ban/regulate Plastic Bags (contact your local

SurfRider chapter for verbiage)• Coordinate ‘Hazardous / Electronic / Pharmaceutical Waste’ drop-off stations at local stores• Partner with local movie theater/cinema to air Environmental Documentaries

City Solutions – Phase 1 (quick, easy, low cost)





http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/plastic_campaign/polystyrene/local



http://www.cokerecycling.com/




















http://www.volunteercleanup.org/


• Create an ongoing / long-term Sustainability Committee• Create a Sustainability Plan with measurable goals & report card to assess progress.• Set a goal of ZERO trash discharge within 2 years• Increase cleaning of storm drain catch basins based on study findings• Retrofit water drain filter/grating/screens on existing grates in high traffic areas• Fully implement “Can on Every Corner”• Legislate that all multi-residences and business must implement a single-stream recycling

program• “Keep Our City Spectacular” anti-Littering campaign• Educate tourists via hotel ‘tip sheet’• Work with local stores to reduce plastic bags by creating a reusable bag ‘Leave One / Take

One’ bin where patrons can borrow a bag and leave their extras• Education in schools led by other students to prevent the ‘next generation’ of litter• Install more city water fountains and water bottle refill stations around town• Create “Earth Friendly Business” environmental certification program• Establish a private/public ‘co-op’ where businesses can obtain bio-friendly materials

(bags, straws, cups) at reduced costs (co-op buys in Qty 10,000 and sells Qty 100)

City Solutions – Phase 2 (planning and budget required)
