A large pile of trash found last weekend on a beach south of Newport may not have been left by one person, according to Chris Havel with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. But he says most beach trash comes from carelessness, not illegal dumping.
Havel says such trash is a significant problem in Oregon. He says most litter, from as far as 50 miles away, eventually make its way to the beach. And, those who come to the coast need to be more aware.
“I don’t know the last time you took a lunch down on the beach." Havel says, "It can get windy and you can lose a napkin. You can lose a piece of plastic. Lose a cup. And you might not think that that’s a big deal but multiply it by hundreds of thousands of people and you can see that we all need to pay more attention about our own personal habits to make sure that we don’t contribute to the problem.”
Havel encourages beachgoers to chase after their own trash and dispose of it properly. He also asks people to use bags provided at many trail entrances or bring your own on beach-walks and pick up trash.
