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Volunteers clean up Fourth of July trash
Josh Cascio reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Volunteers had their hands full Wednesday.
About 100 from Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and the Freedom Boat Club spent hours in the hot sun on Davis Islands picking up what the 4th of July crowd left behind.
"In the Tampa Bay area, the trash you find on the shore ends up in the water," said Captain Katie Falcon with the Freedom Boat Club.
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Beer cans, single-use plastics, and spent fireworks were some of the most common items found. And it wasn't just on Davis Islands, images of discarded fireworks have been cataloged all over Tampa Bay.
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"It definitely feels good to clean up to know that everything that's in your bag isn't sitting on a beach or in a mangrove anymore," said volunteer Brett Berube.
On the Bright side, many trash cans appeared full, indicating that many folks tried to clean up after themselves. The problem is any loose items can quickly blow away and wind up where they shouldn't.
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"There are dumpsters available everywhere you go. There's no reason for us to come out and do it, and yet people don't police their own trash," Falcon said.
She estimated volunteers picked up about 100 bags of debris on Davis Islands this morning.