The 19th annual Source to Sea Cleanup will focus on clearing out tyre dumps along rivers. The event is a two-day volunteer cleanup on September 25 and 26.
The event is organized by the Connecticut River Watershed Council’s (CRWC) and has thousands of volunteers removing trash along rivers, streams, parks, boat launches, trails, and more.
“A massive tire dump along the Deerfield River in Greenfield, MA is just one example of how tyres are a major problem for the health and cleanliness of our rivers,” says Alicea Charamut, CRWC River Steward and Cleanup organizer.
“Unfortunately, tyre dumps like this one are not unusual. And individual tyres discarded in rivers and streams throughout the watershed of the four river states are just as much of an issue.” she continues.
Just last year, Source to Sea Cleanup volunteers reported collecting at least 745 tyres. CRWC began obtaining permits to clean up the Greenfield tire dump in 2014 and is continuing efforts this year.
“Our goal is to keep trash and tyres from getting in our rivers in the first place and to eventually put ourselves out of the business of cleaning up our rivers” notes Charamut. “In addition to coordinating volunteers to clean up trash, CRWC also collects data from cleanup groups about the amount and types of trash they find. This data supports year-round advocacy efforts and informs policies and legislation that will keep waste out of our rivers.”
Volunteers can still sign up on CRWC’s website.