Community members picked up nearly 1,300 pounds of trash near the Easton Reservoir. The March 24 cleanup event was sponsored by Connecticut Clean Communities to commemorate World Water Day, inviting the entire community to help pick up trash along town waterways.
Volunteers met at Easton EMS headquarters at noon and then dispersed in groups to pick up garbage near the reservoirs, returning two hours later with the trash they’d collected. Discarded trash, particularly plastic and electronic waste, is a serious contaminant and threat to water quality, wildlife, and human health.
“This was a great event,” said First Selectman David Bindelglass, who was joined by state Senate candidate Rob Blanchard on a crew that cleaned up a stretch of South Park Avenue. “We all stress the importance of protecting our water here in Easton and picking up 1,300 pounds of garbage along the reservoirs is a concrete step that really makes a difference. I thank everyone who joined us for this important event.”
State Rep. Anne Hughes, who worked with Connecticut Clean Communities to organize the event, led a cleanup crew that collected not only four large bags of garbage but also a tire, various car parts, and a 40-inch flat screen TV.
“Finding a discarded TV really underscores the importance of our efforts here today,” said Hughes. “Improperly discarded electronic waste is a serious and urgent problem — heavy metals and flame retardants can contaminate soil and water, threatening human health, fish and wildlife, and water quality. An important part of keeping our watershed healthy is keeping the land that surrounds it clean.”
Easton Selectman Nick D’Addario was struck by the number of plastic bottles he gathered during the cleanup. “We often see litter as just an eyesore, but this is far more than an aesthetic problem,” said D’Addario.” “We know that discarded plastics are a tremendous threat to human health and to the wildlife and water resources that are so important to us in Easton.”
According to the EPA, of all types of trash, plastic has the greatest potential to harm the environment, wildlife and humans and is often eaten by birds and fish, concentrating toxic chemicals in their tissues, and filling their stomachs, causing them to starve.
Connecticut Clean Communities, is a Connecticut-based non-profit, tasked with facilitating community cleanups across the state through education, public outreach, training, and event scheduling.
