Volunteers Clean Up the Housatonic River| 04:00PM / Sunday, July 07, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Saturday, June 29, the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) held their first Housatonic River Cleanup of the season.
With the help of over a dozen volunteers, they cleaned out trash and other dumped items from six locations along the River in Pittsfield.
BEAT also conducted a trash inventory of what was removed from the banks and bottom of the river. Some of the most notable items included ten shopping carts, multiple cell phones, hundreds of empty "nip" bottles, bicycles, scooters, and vehicle parts—including eight tires, a fender, rims, reflectors, and license plates. They also found an electronic cash drawer, prompting a call to the police, who quickly retrieved the item.
Collecting data about what is removed from the river allows BEAT to prioritize which areas need further action. The number of beverage containers, especially nips, recovered signifies the need for better systems for capturing and recycling this waste before it reaches the river. One solution BEAT continues to push for this legislative session is an expanded bottle bill, which, among other updates, would increase the current deposit rate from 5 to 10 cents and expand the range of beverages covered under the system, even to include nips.
Cleanups make a considerable difference in the health of the Housatonic River. Since beginning annual cleanups, the efforts of BEAT and HVA have made a noticeable difference, with the piles of trash getting smaller. This was only possible with the help of their volunteers.
Join BEAT and HVA at one of their Housaontic River Cleanups on July 13 and August 10 to make a difference for the environment. Learn more and get involved at www.tinyurl.com/Housatonic-River-Cleanups-2024.
West Branch Housatonic River Cleanups are organized by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) and co-sponsored by Blue Q, Panera Bread, and the City of Pittsfield.
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