Dirt paths meander through the woods north of the Riverside Park boat house, east of the North Meadows dike. If you continue on, north of the train trestle that crosses the Connecticut River, you will soon see a sand bar. On occasion, it becomes an island.
And on that island, there’s litter.
Because so few people bother to venture beyond the edge of a parking lot, it’s likely that the debris washed up there. It is a tidal river, after all, and it floods.
Beverage containers that do not require a deposit — nips — are common.
It’s up to consumers to dispose of their trash properly, but it should also be the responsibility of manufacturers and retailers to either use less shitty materials, or take back the empties. Preferably, both.
In the meantime, some folks will be gathering in late September to clean up a couple sections along the Connecticut River in Hartford, as part of the Connecticut River Conservancy’s Source To Sea Cleanup. The details are on Facebook. Prepare to get muddy and make a few yards of our city more pleasant.