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Some scuba divers look for coral reefs, and others look for trash. In a Reddit post from the r/detrashed thread, some Texan good Samaritans took a dive in their local lake to pick up trash from the bottom.
The original poster wrote, “We detrashed a lake in Texas! 4,000 pounds of beer bottles and beer cans. With about 30 scuba divers and 4 boats. Did it in about 4 hours.”
They also posted a photo of an impressive pile of trash bags being hauled out of the lake.
These good Samaritans are part of an informal network of people who “detrash” their local neighborhoods. Some people do it alone, and others bring in friends, families, and local organizations to clean up any mess. This litter clean-up is driven by the desire to take care of their neighborhood and surrounding natural areas.
Improperly disposed of trash can be an eyesore, but it can also cause harm to the environment.
Metal, plastic, and glass, when exposed to natural elements, have the potential to cause many problems for nature and humans. Metals may leach toxins, broken glass can cut an unsuspecting person or animal, and plastic won’t biodegrade in nature.
While the detrash movement doesn’t stop the source of litter, it does keep the trash from doing any more harm in nature. The best solution for litter is to stop it before it occurs, which can be achieved through education and the placement of proper waste receptacles.
The comment section was filled with praise for the Texas detrashers, saying, “We need more people like you.”
Another added, “Wow what an amazing effort, excellent job” to which the original poster replied, “Appreciate that! Unfortunately we hardly made a dent. There’s tons of it covered in silt. But it’s a start!”
The community of good Samaritans doesn’t end with the original poster and their clean-up boat crew. Many commenters shared similar stories. Dive clubs run similar coastal clean-ups, with a commenter saying, “Scuba cleanup is a lot of fun!”
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