Date 2025 - 01 - 30 Time between 17:00 and 18:00
A hidden environmental clock is ticking away while the Neris riverside appears serene beneath a layer of snow. The ice and snow between the White Bridge and the King Mindaugas have trapped months' worth of urban litter. If we don't act now, this trash won't stay on the banks - it will become part of the river.
What Makes "Little" Trash So Important? Throughout winter, we downplay many smaller things as they seem trivial, yet all the little pieces are the most dangerous form of pollution to our planet: - Cigarette Butts: Most people consider the filter portion of cigarettes to be paper. In actuality, they are made from a type of plastic called cellulose acetate. A cigarette butt that is submerged under water will begin to leak out approximately 50% of its nicotine and heavy metals content after about 30 minutes. - Microplastics: Larger pieces of plastic such as bottles and bags will disintegrate into smaller pieces due to exposure to subpar freezing temperature. Once microplastic enters the Neris River, it is impossible to retrieve; eventually the microplastics will enter the food chain and end upon our plate.
Picking up trash from the bridges will eliminate river pollution at the source. By doing this, we prevent the Neris River from carrying forward "toxic cocktails" into the Baltic Sea. Each cigarette butt picked up prevents 1 gallon of contaminated freshwater from entering into either the river system or the Baltic Sea. Every piece of plastic collected prevents that plastic from becoming a microplastic in a fish's stomachs.
Bring gloves and small trash bags with you.