Reindeer Droppings? Probably Not.

Reindeer Nightmare: 107 butts,
Carolina Beach, Driftwood Ln. access

Twas the night before Christmas, when under my hand 

Were there pieces of plastic and butts on the sand

 

The dolphins were dancing over the waves

 

In hopes that the humans would learn to behave

Peace on earth.

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Butts Beware, You’re On Candid Camera

Filmmaker, Destin Cretton, has completed filming of Danielle Richardet and her beach cleaning adventures on Wrightsville Beach. Hopefully, this film will encourage other beach communities to confront the cigarette issue on beaches and in the community in general.

Read the full story from the Star News (12-13-2010).

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Dear Condom-wearing Litterbug

condom wrapper, starfish mold, 223 butts

My 12/12 Carolina Beach pickup yielded 223 cigarette butts, a dozen straws, a plastic starfish mold (belonging to Tillery), and a condom wrapper (made in India). Never mind the comparison of litter from games we play, I simply have this message to the wearer of the latex guardian:

Dear Mr. Condom-wearing litterbug,

Thank you for making an effort to stunt the growth of your littering family tree. I certainly hope that your cheap PleasureMart condom did its job and that you enjoyed the 16 cigarettes that were nestled around your silver badge of manhood.

I’m certain the dolphins thought you were a majestic sight, amazed by your stamina and tender expressions of love, until they choked on the debris from this romantic interlude.

So, know that you’ve made a lasting impression, possibly for the next three to five decades. What would we do without you?

Sincerely,

The person who picks up your disgusting garbage while trying not to vomit.

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Lemonade S(t)and

Booze and Butts, big surprise

On Saturday morning, it’s time to head out to the Pleasure Island Fresh Market. I had a few minutes to spare so I thought I’d head to the sand for a quick pickup.

It didn’t take long to find 108 cigarette butts, several wrappers, straws and a bottle of hard lemonade that was wedged in the sand.

By now it seems pretty obvious that most of the litter could be eliminated by banning smoking on the beach. Such a move is being contemplated on Wrightsville Beach and since Pleasure Island is so close, it would be wise to ban the same out here, lest we end up with every litterbug in the area. Smoking is obviously a privilege that is abused by many at the beach and so should be limited. There is absolutely no way to enforce littering laws for cigarettes; it would take way too many resources. An outright ban has worked on the west coast and it would work here, too.  If not for the environment, let’s do it for our own species. We should all be able to walk in the sand without stumbling through toxic stubs of plastic.

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