Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Freshwater Land Trust’s ‘Project Litter Gitter’ hits milestone, 20,000 lbs of trash removed from waterways
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Project Litter Gitter, a litter removal project by Freshwater Land Trust, recently hit a significant milestone. As of this month, they have removed over 20,000 pounds of trash from Alabama waterways.
What is a Litter Gitter?
A Litter Gitter is an in-stream trash collection device that intercepts floating litter from stormwater runoff. The gadget is a patented product of Osprey Initiative, an environmental contractor focused on sustainability efforts.
Here’s how it works: the device collects debris from rivers while also allowing wildlife, kayaks and boats to navigate over or under to create minimal impact on the surrounding environment.
History of Project Litter Gitter
The first installation of a Litter Gitter in December 2019 by FLT and Osprey Initiative. Today, together they have installed and maintained 12 devices across Central Alabama.
After the success of the first Litter Gitter, Freshwater Land Trust was awarded a $500,000 grant by the EPA to remove trash from local creeks and rivers in the Greater Birmingham area.
Over the course of the project, FLT has garnered the support of several partners who have aided in its success including:
- Wells Fargo
- River Network
- Cahaba Riverkeeper
- Jefferson County Department of Health
- Jefferson County Commission
- Village Creek Society
- Coca-Cola Bottling Company
- Black Warrior Riverkeeper
- ABC Coke
Impact
Through Project Litter Gitter, FLT has removed over 10 tons of trash and debris, consisting of mostly styrofoam and plastic bottles. This is the equivalent of about 5 cars, 1.5 million styrofoam coffee cups or 1/5 the weight of Vulcan.
“We’re absolutely thrilled by this great milestone. We’re so grateful to our partners, sponsors and supporters who have made this project possible for the past three years. It’s a problem that we’re going to continue to tackle.”
Katie Holmes, Outreach & Communications Coordinator of Freshwater Land Trust
To get involved with Freshwater Land Trust and Project Litter Gitter, visit their website for information or click here to donate.
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