Keeping South Carolina's waterways debris-free

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. At a breakfast meeting here in Sumter, there was a trash can near the cafeteria door, and next to the trash can was a foam box of half-eaten food. About a hundred people walked past this litter – I picked it up and put it in the trash. It’s an inexcusable but sadly prolific habit to toss trash, and it’s made worse in that many of us think picking up litter is someone else’s job. All litter flows downstream, into storm drains, creeks, lakes, and massive amounts end up in the ocean. It’s good exercise to bend over, and I pick up at least three pieces of plastic a day. Plastic bottles, plastic straws, plastic food containers...I do draw the line at poopy plastic baby diapers, and do keep hand wipes in my bag.