seasonal variations in beach trash

The trash found along this short stretch of shoreline is a snapshot of the wider world. It's a sampling that reflects human and natural activity in two nations. These days during the season of winter northwester winds, a surprisingly common component of beach trash is customs seals from containers. One suspects Toronto and or possibly the Hamilton area are the sources. Like the zebra mussels and the round gobies the little plastic strips reflect globalized economic activity on and around the lake.

The one to the left says prologix- a global logistics company that presumeably does business in Toronto harbor.

Another common component and year around of the beach trash “community” are the ubiquitous tampon applicators ( known as New Jersey sea shells to some beach combers.)They seem to pass through the sewage treatment plants with little difficulty. One wonders what else unseen goes into our lake from the waste pipes? Pharmaceuticals?various household toxins?gold fish and dead mice? Strange and new bacterial spores or radioactive cat litter? Maybe we don't want to know.

Large pieces of drift wood often with saw cuts, are everywhere along the terminal berm reflecting I suppose the rains of late summer and fall and subsequent floods and heavy outflows of tributary rivers. Not long ago a male body washed up on Port Bay's beach about 2 miles west of where I walk. He had hiking boots on. Had he fallen into a river? Surprisingly frequent on this walk were pieces of rusty steel. Did heavy currents move them out into the lake? Or did they reflect more houses being eaten up by lake shore erosion and heavy fall storms?The metal frame and springs of an upholstered chair seem explainable by river flooding. But a cinder block? Already rounded by wave action one suspects this has to be a recent immigrant to the beach trash community.

Perhaps the most common trash item consistently present on the beach at all seasons is a juice or water bottle. Also quite common lately are throw away lighters. Odd to think that perhaps the most enduring artifacts of our current society are items of trash. They say a plastic spoon is good for at least a couple hundred years. Pampers take a couple generations to decompose in landfills. And the contents of the steel casks of rad waste now parked by the lake will remain toxic for at least a hundred thousand years-a span approaching geological time.

Only ten more shopping days until Christmas.