Earth Day 'Trash Blitz' comes to Long Island roadways
McDonald's takeout boxes. Liquor bottles. Paper masks. Empty paint cans.
All this trash and more, dumped along the southbound side of Heckscher State Parkway near Exit 45 in East Islip.
On Friday, in recognition of Earth Day, State Department of Transportation officials took part in a statewide "Trash Blitz," picking up litter from state parkways and highways.
During just the first three days of this week, also in recognition of the day, state officials picked up more than 2,400 bags of trash — or roughly 24 tons — from litterbugs statewide, according to DOT spokesman Stephen Canzoneri.
In the full week of Earth Day last year, state officials cleared 2,200 bags, Canzoneri said as he joined a crew of 10 department employees Friday clearing trash from Heckscher State Parkway.
"Even though there have been less people on the road driving, we are doing a lot more takeout," Canzoneri said. "People are eating more in their cars and just throwing their trash out the window instead of keeping it in a garbage bag in their car or waiting until they get to their destination to throw it out. … I think it's people just not wanting to take responsibility for their own actions and for their trash."
While fast-food wrappers and empty coffee cups are abundant on the side of the road, state officials also have found some unusual items this week, including three tires in one location, household appliances, and a mattress on the Northern State Parkway.
"I would like to do this every year," said Chantal Flores of the DOT.
Credit: Kendall Rodriguez
Chantal Flores, Department of Transportation facilities manager for Region 10 Long island, said she jumped at the chance to participate in the cleanup.
"I would like to do this every year," Flores said Friday, adding that it's helpful for workers to experience what department highway maintenance crews see daily. "I love volunteer work and I also love the Earth."
Littering doesn't just reflect poorly on the condition of state roadways. There's also a financial and operational cost that is borne by taxpayers, Canzoneri said.
Each year, the state spends, on average, $10 million to keep state roads free of garbage.
"This takes up more time than any of our other operations on the road," he said. "And it's important to keep our roads clean because it's a hazard. The roads are dirty. … It's unsafe when you have litter on the road because it causes distraction. It could be a fire hazard. It's a breeding ground for insects and other vermin. So do your part here on Long Island."
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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