TAMPA, Fla. — It's a dirty job, but somebody — or something — has to do it. That's where the city of Tampa's "Litter Skimmer" comes in, working tirelessly to keep area waterways clean of marine debris.
In its first week of operation, the trash boat collected 840 pounds of garbage by using a conveyor system to collect trash from the water, the city said in a news release. That includes just about any sort of metal and plastic imaginable, from bottles and caps to Cheetos bags and Slurpee cups.
Don't forget the Styrofoam container and — reflective roadway marker? — seen in a photo provided by the city.
The Solid Waste Department's "Litter Skimmer" first hit the water Saturday, July 9, and operates four days per week for eight hours each day on Hillsborough Bay, the Hillsborough River and the channel surrounding Davis Islands.
It's not just man-made trash that gets scooped up.
"The good thing about this vessel is will be able to pick up all the floating organic materials, as well the logs and boating hazards that coming from the storms," said Walt Townsend, the boat's operator, in an earlier interview.
More than 168,000 pounds of trash were removed from the Hillsborough River in 2019, according to the city.
Ocean Conservancy says trash in the water is a pollutant, which can be consumed by animals — or entangle them — and potentially pose a contamination risk to species that eat them.
"This is a personal passion of mine, ensuring that our community is clean each and every day," said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor during the inaugural launch of "Litter Skimmer."