Too much trash in and near the creek

(Texas)

March 18, 2025

Visitor Question: A group I'm involved with plans to try to clean out a little creek that runs right through the park in my neighborhood. I went over there yesterday with several people to look at the job. I couldn't believe that around the bend from where I usually walk, somebody had actually dumped an old mattress and a very old TV. I'm willing to do my best to help with cleaning up this stuff, but my question is whether we should be talking about this as an environmental problem instead of just lecturing people about being clean and tidy. Obviously they don't care about being tidy, or they wouldn't dump this stuff. Are there some environmental issues that we could point out to help with compliance? There were a lot of potato chip wrappers and similar things along the bank too. While the older people may not care about potential environment effects of trash in the creek, maybe the teens would. How can we phrase this to get people's attention?

Editors Reply: Over the years as a professional and also as a frequent volunteer where I live, I've wrestled with this question. I suggest a two-pronged approach, which is compatible with your observations.

First, let's talk about the potato chip and candy bar wrappers, most of which younger people probably dump. These two specific examples probably don't cause large amounts of environmental harm except when there is a large volume of them.

My experience suggests that teens and kids can sometimes be deterred from careless littering simply by making it cool and popular to pick up after oneself, increasing convenience by providing enough trash containers, and raising consciousness by involving them in the cleanups. More than once I've had a 12- or 14-year-old tell me after a cleanup that they had no idea how much trash was dumped and that they won't be doing that again.

For more about stream cleanups and how to stage them, see our relevant page. If you promise (and deliver) pizza and peers, teens and tweens will come.

Second, as you say, some people may respond to an environmental argument, although I have to express a healthy skepticism that those are the same people who are dumping in or near the stream. Dumping of large items seems to be a separate question--does it cost extra to have the solid waste collectors pick up mattresses, old sofas, and metal file cabinets? We know that almost everywhere now, there is a fee for picking up or disposing of old televisions and computer monitors. So one idea is to evaluate how your town or county can make it inexpensive or preferably free to have these items picked up curbside.

However, the strongest environmental argument may center on the pollutants that enter waterways by way of runoff from impervious surfaces--whether that be concrete, asphalt, or buildings. Many people who would not dream of throwing a mattress in the creek are quite willing to park their cars near a stream bank and thus bring petroleum products and other potential pollutants into an area where they may end up in the rain runoff. Even small quantities of petroleum-based substances and the amount of petroleum that rain can dislodge from asphalt paving can add up, and some people may not be aware of this.

Gardeners, farmers, and home landscapers may be unaware of what too much fertilizer in the stormwater runoff does to water quality in streams. Pesticides and insecticides used in all contexts also may end up in our water bodies.

Another important piece of education could revolve around limiting the amounts of oils and grease that are put down drains, ultimately ending up in a river or stream. I know we have strayed far from your original question, but these considerations also result in dirty streams.

To be concise, combat dumping of large items by assuring there are safe, convenient, and low-cost or free ways to dispose of these things. Deal with careless tossing of wrappers and other miscellaneous small trash on the ground or right into the stream by engaging as many people as possible in stream cleanups; especially teens and older children need to be exposed to this activity. And we gave you more than you bargained for by suggesting educational measures that could help residents minimize behaviors that result in degraded water quality, whether or not the pollution is visible.

Keep up the good work in helping to keep your local streams clean.

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