By Allison Martin
Special to the Herald

Ten cigarette butts. Nine plastic bottles. Eight food wrappers. Seven plastic bottle caps. Six drink straws. Five dirty diapers. Four soda cans. Three old shirts. Two Styrofoam containers. One rubber tire. And I collected it all in just five minutes during the 2017 Coastal Cleanup Day in Solano County.
Why do people litter? I’d like to say that by this point in modern time, we have all been taught not to litter and that we all care. According to Dr. P. Wesley Schultz with California State University San Marcos, a lot of research out there shows that people are educated about the impacts of throwing waste into the environment and that a lot of people do, in fact, care. On the other hand, research also shows that the further you are from a trash or recycling bin, the more likely you are to litter, even if you don’t want to. Is the answer really placing a trash can every few feet, even in open spaces like Rockville Hills Regional Park in Fairfield?
I really hope not. I’m prone to think that perhaps the answer lies in the bigger picture: how much trash we create in the first place. As a result of the 2016 plastic grocery bag ban, the California Coastal Commission reported a tremendous drop in the number of plastic bags retrieved during the 2017 Coastal Cleanup Day (out of the top ten most collected items, in fact). Reducing the amount of garbage we create works to limit the amount of trash running loose in our communities as well as in nature.
Even then, trash will always be created and some of it might continue to end up outside of the landfill. From there, our communities rely on those who care a lot, such as the two to three thousand people that show up for Solano County’s Coastal Cleanup Day events every year to remove 20 to 30 thousand pounds of trash and recyclables from our waterways, parks, and urban spaces. Wow.
This year the Solano County Coastal Cleanup is on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at more than 50 locations throughout Solano. You can join us then to do your part, or you can start now. How can you get started? Well, here are some ideas:

* Carry a litter bag every time you go out. If it’s safe to do so, pick up trash you see and carry it out with you, even if it’s not yours. This includes food waste.*
* Recycle the items that you can. Not every piece of plastic is recyclable, and depending on where you live, some other items may not be, either. Check with your local waste service to be sure.
* Check out the Solano County Recycle Guide. Available at recycle.solanocounty.com, this information packed web page helps guide you on the proper ways to dispose of waste, from pesticide containers to bubble wrap to used oil and medications.*
* BYO. Bring your own containers to restaurants for leftovers or takeout; bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store; bring your own water bottle to refill throughout the day or invest in some reusable straws to use anywhere you go.*
* Carry a pet waste bag (or two) with you when you walk your pet. Animal waste needs to go into a baggy and into the trash.*
* Are you a smoker? If quitting isn’t an option, please use an ash tray or cigarette butt bin when you’re out and about. Cigarette butts actually contain plastic so they take a long time to break down – and they leach toxic materials such as arsenic and lead into the environment, too.*
* Be a positive example for others … especially to kids!

It only takes a little effort to keep Solano County green, clean, and safe for all of us. If we all make little changes, the place we call home will thank us for it. Learn more about your local cleanup efforts at recycle.solanocounty.com.

Allison Martin is the education program manager for the Solano Resource Conservation District.

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