The city of Plano's environmental health and sustainability department is piloting a new solution for litter in the city’s creeks. The department is using repurposed swim lane lines to create litter booms, a cylindrical containment system for litter.
The devices are made from recycled materials, including swim lane lines from Jack Carter Pool. The booms also use nets to capture the litter floating in Plano’s creeks.
“You’d expect to see these yellow and red swim lane lines dividing up recreation center pools, but not in a Plano creek,” the city said in a LinkedIn post. “Nevertheless, they’re floating proudly as part of an ingenious, simple solution to keep Plano clean and green.”
According to the city, the boom adjacent to the Environmental Education Center collected over 100 pounds of litter after approximately six months. The department plans to install an additional device in Rowlett Creek sometime this year.
Annually, the city of Plano allocates around $500,000 for the cleanup of litter and illegal dumping. The majority of litter is addressed by the city of Plano's work crew, with the remaining 10% tackled by committed Adopt-A-Highway volunteers and litter cleanup volunteers.
In Texas, individuals caught littering from a vehicle can face fines of up to $500. A subsequent littering offense may result in fines of up to $2,000 and a potential jail term of up to 180 days. Even discarding something as small as a gum wrapper on the sidewalk could incur a fine.
But the impact of litter often lasts a lifetime. Household items such as aluminum cans take around 200-500 years to fully decompose, while plastic bags take up to 600 years. Styrofoam, glass and car tires take over one million years to decompose.
To learn how to help clean up Plano, visit the community cleanup registration page or sign up for one of the city’s annual cleanup events.
Don't miss anything Local. Sign up for our free newsletter.
