Koenig is organizing the Anacostia Watershed Society‘s annual Earth Day Cleanup in which volunteers spread out along the banks of the Anacostia River, its tributaries and water catchment areas to pick up trash. Now in it’s 23rd year, the cleanup is scheduled for Saturday.
How many people typically turn out?
Last year we had more than 2,000 people. This year we’re expecting hopefully more than that. Last year, there was a little bit, not confusion, but we did have the government shutdown that happened on the same day as our cleanup. So all of our sites that were going to be on federal property, we had to send the volunteers elsewhere. I think we lost a few folks for that reason.
How much land does the cleanup cover?
We work all throughout the watershed, which is 176 square miles, and we have this year more than 35 sites where volunteers will be cleaning up.
So what kind of trash do they find?
It’s a variety of stuff — all the normal kinds of trash and debris that you see. Bottles, cans, food wrappings from fast food and stuff you’d find at 7-Eleven, chip bags, that kind of thing. And bigger stuff: tires, shopping carts, appliances. We’ve found dryers and pieces of washing machines, parts of cars.
How much trash do you pick up in one day?
Last year, I believe the total was 42 tons.
D.C. has levied a bag tax since 2010, with the idea that it would cut down on the number of plastic bags that end up in the river. Have you seen any impact?
Certainly during the smaller cleanups in the past year I have seen less plastic bags, and I have heard the same from community members. They haven’t seen plastic bags in the street or caught along trees, so I think it’s making a big difference in the District.
— Kytja Weir
