Anti-litter, hazardous waste disposal events set for September in the Poconos
If you spot litter in the water while out fishing this month, snap a photo.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is asking anglers to use the Fishbrain app to alert the organization about trash “by creating a post on the Fishbrain app, photographing the trash, tagging the water where it was seen and simply including the hashtag #trashoftheday.”
The effort runs from Sept. 5 to Oct. 5 and “will help Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to monitor litter across the waterways and to best direct their volunteers’ garbage clean-up and prevention efforts.”
Separately this month, Monroe County residents have an opportunity to dispose of hazardous items, and volunteers will fan out across the Poconos for an annual litter cleanup.
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“Plastic and other debris continues to make its way into our waterways, causing harm to people, wildlife and our economies. Preventing litter from entering local waterways, before it can reach our oceans, is an important part of our mission to keep Pennsylvania clean and beautiful. We are excited to work with Fishbrain to reach enthusiastic anglers across the state and encourage them to join us in our mission while enjoying Pennsylvania waterways,” Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, said in a press release announcing the effort.
Fishbrain, which bills itself as “the world’s most popular fishing app,” is something of a social media site for anglers, who can post photos of their catches as well as get depth maps and fishing forecasts.
“Our users love spending time out in nature and on the waterways, and have real respect for the natural world. Anglers have a significant part to play in looking after the environment, both through responsible fishing practices and also through getting involved in broader initiatives to look after the world around us, like this trash-logging project,” Fishbrain CEO Johan Attby said. “With the expectation that many of our users will be out on the water on Labor Day and in the following weeks, we are delighted to work with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to ask our users to record any litter they notice while out and about, and hope this initiative also raises awareness of the importance of not disposing of trash irresponsibly.”
Waste Authority offers hazardous item disposal
The Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority will accept hazardous items on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Military Road Recycling Site (1114 Military Road, Stroudsburg).
This includes items such as gasoline, anti-freeze, motor oil, oil-based paint, insecticides, pool chemicals and fire extinguishers.
Monroe County residents should register in advance online at form.jotform.com/221635078278159. A fee is charged based on the number of items and their size/weight.
Pick Up the Poconos
The annual fall cleanup held by the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Register by 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12 at poconomountains.com/pick-up-the-poconos/sign-up/. There will be starting points throughout Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties where volunteers can pick up trash bags and other supplies.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Pick Up the Poconos, other events set for September in northeast PA
