MaryPIRG Stream Cleanup

The University of Maryland PIRG chapter and the RESTORE society gathered Saturday afternoon, Oct. 11, 2014, behind the View to collect cans and bottles in support of the proposed Bottle Bill.

MaryPIRG and RESTORE’s signs in front of the Paint Branch Campus Creek, behind the View. Rainy weather discouraged many from attending, but more than 40 volunteers came through.

Junior Daniel Sokvary signs in at the beginning of the stream clean up. He volunteered his help through the on-campus service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega.

President Rob Swam stands over a pile of trash that was collected within the first few minutes of the clean up. Last year, the MaryPIRG and RESTORE collected even bottles and cans that 70 dollars could have been redeemed from a center if Maryland enacted a Bottle Bill.

Three volunteers on the creek bank look for trash and containers. A large amount of trash finds its way to the edge of the creek, usually coming from the tailgating lots nearby.

Another volunteer climbs through brush looking for cans and bottles to display in a large pile outside of the View. This pile is a mild form of protest in support of the Bottle Bill, which is slated to dramatically increase recycling.

Two MaryPIRG members share a moment along the creek’s bank. Within 15 minutes their trash bag was already filled with bottles, cans and various trash items.

A piece of a broken Absolut bottle lies underneath the creek’s bridge. Several beer cans and beer bottles also lay among the stones.

A volunteer, who scaled stones to reach a ledge, collects trash underneath the creek’s bridge. Each bottle and can collected would be worth 5 cents if the Bottle Bill were enacted.

More trash scattered in the group of volunteer’s finds. Although the numbers are not in yet, they had gathered several large piles of bottles and cans.

A few items from the “Finders-Keepers” pile: a Jimmy Choo purse, wood and a hubcap. All three are examples of the carelessness of litterers.

The Paint Branch Campus creek flows in the northeast portion of the campus and is a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay’s failing health can be traced back to small tributaries such as this one.