Trash
Just one mention of the word brings out strong feelings in just about everyone to which I’ve talked. We all make trash, the pile of trash is growing, and figuring out how to manage it is no easy job. Start talking about recycling, and the conversation can really become spirited.
It seems that the number one rule of trash is to dispose of it properly. But many people have noticed the growing amount of trash along streets and are wondering what to do about it. Public dumping is also a problem.
How can we achieve a cleaner community?
Wicomico County fields plenty of phone calls from citizens upset about trash, wondering if crews can be sent to clean up roads, according to Jennifer Albero, recycling coordinator for Wicomico County. Unfortunately, the county no longer has the staff to do that. Three road crews were keeping up with it prior to the pandemic, so “people didn’t realize how much trash was being thrown,” she explained. But now, “everybody everywhere is complaining about it.”
The county detention center used to send inmates on work release to clean up roads during the week, but that program is defunct at the current time because of staffing. But inmates from Eastern Correctional Institution do assist directly at the landfill. Four to six inmates, down from 14, work weekdays at Newland Park Landfill to separate contaminants from recycling. If you’ve ever looked in the recycling bins when you’ve dropped off your items, you’ll see a lot that doesn’t belong – plastic bags, garbage, and items that can’t be recycled. Everything has to be sorted by hand.
When residents call and are upset about trash, Albero said she explains that she has to go out and clean up just like everyone else. She said they do have an employee who tries to pick up on Naylor Mill Road, and that the county roads division has a vacuum truck that’s used to clean up some areas, such as Parker Pond in Salisbury recently where a TV was dumped. But mostly, for all that trash along the side of roadways, it’s dependent on citizens’ help, both to clean up and to not leave trash in the first place.
“I don’t know how to get people to start caring about their own neighborhoods enough to stop throwing trash out,” she said. Also, anyone who has picked up trash notices the abundance of alcohol bottles and cans by the side of the road which means they have been thrown out by drivers. Recognizing the massive amount of drinking and driving is the most alarming aspect of roadside cleanups.
While each municipality has its own way of doing things, Wicomico County residents either have to pay for trash service or buy a yearly pass to dispose of their trash themselves at the landfill. The pass is $60 and good for 12 months. http://md-wicomicocounty.civicplus.com/304/Household-Refuse-Permits. Recycling bins for cardboard, paper, glass, plastic, aluminum and bi-metal are centers around the county. https://www.wicomicocounty.org/671/ConvenienceRecycle-Center-Information
In the city of Salisbury, trash and recycling are both picked up curbside.
Jerry Arrington, sanitation superintendent for the City of Salisbury, said it’s important to notice what items are actually recyclable, because much of the plastic produced is not. “A lot of it has to do with components in the plastic,” he explained. He encouraged more residents to recycle to combat the growing landfill. “It takes a lot of people for it to catch on and change habits. If we have more people recycling, it would really help,” he said. Arrington also said all city streets are swept regularly, too. According to the city website, that’s 210 miles of roadway.
A notable way the city is attempting to cut down on trash is the plastic bag ban that goes into effect July 1. The ordinance, an initiative of Shop Green SBY, bans single-use plastic bags at the point of sale, pickup or delivery. Businesses within the city will be required to charge 10 cents for each paper bag at checkout. If you’re like me, you’ve acquired a lot of reusable bags that you forget to use. It’s time to make a new habit! For specifics on the new law, see https://salisbury.md/shopgreensby.
Among all the recycling being collected, the one item at a standstill is plastic. Plastic is currently being sorted and baled, but is piling up at the landfill property. The landfill is the middle man, so to speak, and recycling is sold to companies to make more products, but “numbers across the board have been slashed 25-30% for all recyclables,” Albero said. The county used to get $130/ton for cardboard, and it’s plummeted to $32/ton. There is a glut of cardboard, thanks to an increase in online shopping the last few years. And the market for plastic right now is so bad that it’s not worth sending out, she continued.
“We’re baling it, but we’re letting it sit. Until we get to the point that we’re out of room, we’ll keep saving it. It’s still saving landfill space.”
For those of us taking our recycling to the county bins, there are fewer locations as the Sam’s Club center was recently closed due to garbage being left. “Our 24-hour recycling centers are our problem children,” she said. “It’s a constant battle trying to keep those clean.” Garbage was continually left at the Sam’s Club location, including “mattresses that look like they came out of a horror movie.”
Tires are another frequent find at the center, as well as along roadsides.
If you are making the effort to recycle and drop off items at the county bins, remember to not bag anything. No plastic bags! I sometimes have my plastic bottles bagged, then I’ll unload the bottles and take the bags to a collection spot at one of the local grocery stores.
REcycle is a Woke term and BS, most of the trash is NOT recycled. Its more expensive to recycle and most of the manufacturers who produced the “plastics” know this. Its a term to make people feel good. They are helping the Earth, Environment. Its a scam we have been sold on for years. Remember Glass Bottles of Coke? We used them, returned them and they were re-used. THAT is recycled – if you go to the dump track recycle items, its just Trash. Hold big business accountable, make them pay for anything that cant be recycled I bet they change
Incinerators work too. Hell if cremation works for humans, why not incinerators? Put our high tech big brains together for minimal pollution.
Dont worry about how many jobs would be lost……unfortunately thats been the mindset for decades and we really havent progressed from an industry standpoint. Worry wart nation. Afraid of change.
Littering is against the law. And, it’s a terrible blight on our county, state, and nation.
There USED to be public service ads on TV asking people not to throw litter.
Now , we get ads about the newest police campaign against the citizens.
Consider this-
The police will dress up as farmers, road workers, electric line workers and spend all day making money (there’s a clue for ya) on “public safety” (another term thrown around every time they want to get paid).
They will park in entirely black vehicles at night, hidden from sight, to make sure no one does 57 in a 50 zone.
They will patrol the skies with helicopters to make sure tourists aren’t speeding to Ocean City.
WHY don’t they use some of their night vision equipment and spend some time in the dark (they like working in the dark) and just watch some high litter areas for people throwing trash? Take some licenses and levy some painful fines. Post some pictures of those who have been caught.
TRASH AND LITTER ARE “PUBLIC SAFETY” ISSUES, TOO.
Trash and litter pollute streams and waterways and poison and kill wildlife.
Look at the trash that lines the streams in some areas of Salisbury.
MATTRESSES and junk are just thrown in streams behind these houses. No one gets fined or cited?? You are responsible for cleaning the snow from your (city-owned) sidewalk, but NOT for the trash you’ve thrown in the stream behind your house?????
Every month or two, the police come up with a new “campaign” to make sure citizens tow the line on whatever new “emergency” has got their attention for more money (seat belts, impaired driving, tinted windows, speeding, holiday celebrations, etc.)
Start some littering enforcement. And make it hurt.
Oh wait. Summer is coming. Look out for the bucket trucks on RT 50. Trash in your car from stopping at McDonald’s on the way? Throw it out the window. They don’t care.
Cmon LMcLain….serve and protect for our LEOs does not include trash detail. Thats a DPW issue. No need to bash the now few LEOs we still do have.
Politics and lack of governing hurts us all. My example of waste is highlighted all along the island. Gain a buck and spend 3. Multi year contract to paint watertowers with a pretty emblem at $1 million a piece. Repave coastal highway and or side streets and realize after you covered over manhole and utiliity accesses. Repave coastal highyway and a year later dig up the majority of left lanes from mid town south. New hotel/condo/townhome building – yet cant fill what you have midweek. Even after covid, most establishments have to close early mid week due to lack of visitors. Offset has been higher prices, deterring visitors to stay. Lil Mexico under the pier, yet if one is loud or smoking – katie bar the door from newbie recruits.
Yeah we both are livid and bitter. Next drink is on me!!
C’mon, “anonymous”….lol…..anonymous……
I KNOW of a police officer who gave a ticket to someone who threw a cigarette butt out of his car window.
Fact.
What LAW was he enforcing?
Littering.
Which, just so you’re on solid ground again, is against the law.
Enforce it.
And to the extent of the problem, ONLY the police will be able to ENFORCE this law.
If there are so few officers, I’ll need an explanation as to why I see, so often, 3 or four police cars around a traffic stop. EVERY DAY, on the way to work and on the way home, I see at least 5-7 police in a 8 mile drive. Those are the ones I SEE. You KNOW there are more we never see, driving unmarked Toyota’s, Dodge Chargers, etc. Let’s not forget, too, the 15-20 cops at these Nazi checkpoints who aren’t even chasing criminals or speeder. They are there, standing around, LOOKING for crime. Look at some other crimes while they are at it…..
And I’m not “bashing the police”.
I’m merely pointing out they have the resources but there’s no glory, gunfights, or high speed chases in busting littering citizens. Make littering as scary (penalty wise) as drunk driving. That’s all. Address ALL laws, please, just not the ones that fill state coffers and provide paycheck money.
Im tracking LMcLain…..yeah, low hanging fruit is a waste was resources when known problem areas are NOT addressed.
Truly TGIF….HH cant start early enough.
Tracking me….???. lol
I have lived in Nanticoke for about 6 years now and one major contributor to trash that I have noticed is people leaving trash in their boats and letting it all blow out in the wind on their way back from a fishing or boating trip.
I ride a motorcycle and almost every time I come upon a boat leaving the harbor I have to dodge those plastic “Lunchables” containers, plastic soda bottles and cans, wrapping paper for what I can only assume are for sandwiches’ all flying out of the boat. Over time I have come to realize that it pretty much always happens when I am behind a boat and that trash accumulates easily.
I have also see at stop lights on College Ave. where kids just open the window of a car and throw the trash out in the road.
Naylor Mill Rd from Rt. 50 to 4 Way Stop sign at West Rd is full of trash along the side. Very sad to see for sure.
NO ONE CARES its sad to watch a car pull into a parking area and just dump their trash right out the door, a trash can just 10 feet away. Go to get dinner in their new car, eat in their new car and then just open the door and throw the trash on the ground.
Well > get some ECI inmates to clean it up along with County jail inmates !!!!!!!!!!
They are 12:02
Get the Worthless Lts & Capts at the Jails & Prisons to pick it up !!!!!!
Oh No , inmates don’t have to do anything !!! They get to go to the weight pit & Play Ball !!!!
They ALL got Color TV , Internet , $ 200.00 shoes , commissary store , !!!
Prison in America = Retirement Home for FREE / No Bills / All the Frills !!!
Thanks for sharing this article!!!
Breakdown of society
Trash is a funny thing. We used to burn most of ours and composted what we could. We did not have a lot of cans or bottles or plastics then or huge trash bags. A paper bag from the grocery was enough for a week. I do remember the smoldering dumps usually an old black man in a shed managing them and everything burning. Funny the one is now a development of new homes with well water LOL. It’s pretty flat around here but you go to the ” DUMP” and there are Mountains of refuse and tires the one at Hard Scrapple is like a visit to Yosemite do people really think all that shit is just going to Biodegrade and not trickle into the water supply. LOL they don’t care they buy bottled water that ends up in the same heap and the bottled water is full of Microplastics your better off drinking the treacle from the dumps. Hyper Consumerism and opportunist Capitalism may seem like Granted rights but it just is what it is. A lot of TRASH. Those that get rich from it think it’s a good thing and those left holding the bag are doing just that.
I have lived in the city for 52 years and live close to the Salvation Army. The people here now are almost completely transient they live in slum lord rentals and a long occupancy is a year. They throw their trash bags in their yards or the streets. Broken furniture decorates their front, side & back yards. Their vehicles have rotated tags among multiple vehicles. The worst have adorned my front bushes with filthy diapers. They don’t use paper bags or plastic for their trash it is just tossed. We see city inspector vehicles ride by but they see nothing. The houses have boarded up windows and some have been vacant for 5 plus years but the trash cans on the porches are still full. I can’t wait for the copperhead snakes to return this summer to this slum area. Why don’t I move because of the neighborhood can’t sell your home, and at my age it’s futile. Could the city just once clean up this area and the slum landlords, and the ones in NJ just use this area for tax write off homes. HELP if you can hope is all we have.
I always notice a huge increase in trash along the back road when deer season opens. Especially beer cans. These jerks from out of town come down here and act like they are in Balmer. What’s a little more trash? Who will even notice? Well, those of us who live on those back roads notice!!
Lack of resources eh? Thats becoming tye norm everywhere. Society mindset has changed a lot. Nice shiny vehicles, SUVs (marked and unmarked), the tslk of EV’s (more expensive) and motorcycles. Maybe add a year to lifecycle replenishment and squeeze blood out of that turnip for a recruit or 2 with incentives? Dont sit on your arses, lobby harder, demand help and you better have data analytics to back it up. Early bird always gets the worm.
Hell, here is a REAL out of the box thinking. These marked vehicles…..how about on the lower sides of the right or left back ends…..a commerical sponsor? It can blend in with vehicle colors?
Its a revenue generator thats.NOT on the taxpayer!!!!!!
Make Dirty politicians pick up the trash !!!! Democrats esp
Make MSP pick up the trash !!!!