Cambridge cleanup event set to protect waterways
CAMBRIDGE, Md.- ShoreRivers, Trash Free Maryland, Osprey Initiative and the City of Cambridge are preparing to host a community cleanup event aimed at reducing litter and protecting local waterways. The cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Cambridge Creek, located on Cedar Street. Organizers say volunteers will participate in a litter […]
Tangipahoa Economic Development Foundation receives $50K grant to support litter abatement
HAMMOND — Air Products, through the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund, has donated $50,000 to the Tangipahoa Economic Development Foundation (TEDF) to support litter abatement efforts that align with the organization’s mission of attracting growth and investment in Tangipahoa Parish. The grant will help TEDF operate and maintain “litter gitter” devices in waterways around […]
Valdosta receives additional $98,250 grant to expand waterway debris interceptor program
LOWNDES COUNTY, GA — Keeping waterways clean has been a longtime concern for many neighbors in Valdosta, Georgia — especially after back-to-back storms left debris and drainage issues across parts of the city. Neighbors say debris and trash have been piling up in areas like Sugar Creek and Langdale Park for years. Now, the City of […]
Residents call for clean up in Bayou Manchac after heavy rain brings litter to river
ST. GABRIEL — Heavy rain in the capital region is pushing more than water through local bayous. It is carrying trash and pollution into waterways like Bayou Manchac, leaving behind debris along the shoreline. After recent rainfall, plastic bottles, food containers and other litter were visible along the banks of the bayou near St. Gabriel. […]
City of Valdosta receives $98,250 grant to expand waterway debris interceptor program
VALDOSTA — The City of Valdosta has received $98,250 in grant funding through the Georgia Rivers Grant Program to support continued efforts to improve local waterways and reduce debris in area streams. The grant, which City staff applied for in November 2025, funded the installation of a new and improved debris interceptor on Sugar Creek. […]
Keep Louisiana Beautiful, Coca-Cola, and Osprey Initiative Expand Recycling in 19 Parishes During Love the Boot Week
During Love the Boot Week, April 18–26, 2026, Coca-Cola is partnering with Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) to support the recycling of plastic bottles and aluminum cans at litter cleanup events across 19 parishes. Facilitated by Osprey Initiative, the effort will divert thousands of bottles and cans from landfills and give collected materials a second life through recycling. […]
RecycleDAT! Celebrates Strong Mid-Season Mardi Gras 2026 Results
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The coalition behind RecycleDAT! announced it is celebrating a strong start to the 2026 Carnival season, with 13,983 pounds of recyclable materials already diverted from landfills during the first two weekends of programming. This includes the diversion of over 70,000 aluminum cans, 30,000 plastic bottles, 11,500 glass bottles, and 16,000 throws. Led by Grounds Krewe, New Orleans […]
Cleaning Up Carnival, Bead by Plantable Bead
New Orleans is having Mardi Gras regrets, and not just the kind that come from too many daiquiris. In recent years, the city’s huge, weekslong party has been producing more waste than ever: an average of 1,123 tons per year for the last decade, according to the city’s Sanitation Department. “It’s an environmental catastrophe,” said […]
RecycleDAT! Mardi Gras Sustainability Initiative Returns for a Fourth Year
This Carnival Season, Grounds Krewe is again collaborating with New Orleans & Company and the City of New Orleans’ Office of Resilience & Sustainability, alongside presenting sponsors Entergy Corporation and Dr Pepper, for RecycleDAT! – an initiative to promote a more sustainable Mardi Gras. Members of the public can expect to see recycling stations and bins along the Uptown parade route during the day for parades on […]
Pontchartrain Conservancy Wins Grant for Litter Project
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Pontchartrain Conservancy has been selected to receive funding through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program’s FY25 Marine Debris Interception Technologies Grant for new initiative called the Comprehensive Aquatic Litter Plan for Orleans Parish (CALPOP). The CALPOP project will install year-round and seasonal Litter Gitters and Litter Booms across New Orleans to prevent trash from reaching critical waterways, […]
‘We get dirty’
Osprey Initiative, a growing business, traps trash in Louisiana bayous — and beyond Future generations of archaeologists are likely to scratch their heads at Monte Sano Park in Scotlandville. In the grass, a toilet bowl lies next to a smoke detector. Nearby, weeds grow through the trunk of a Ford Roadster, parked next to an […]
Osprey Initiative removes over 9,300 lbs of waste from Jefferson County waterways
More than 9,300 pounds of litter materials have been successfully removed from local waterways in Jefferson County since March 2024, according to the Osprey Initiative. The initiative has been working with the county, deploying six devices, including four Litter Gitters and two Litter Booms, across the Cahaba and Black Warrior River watersheds. More than 1,700 […]
Geaux Green or geaux home: LSU takes on the game day recycling challenge
LSU students and organizations show what it means to ‘Geaux Green’ on Sunday with post-gameday recycling efforts. Every year LSU participates in the Game Day Recycling Challenge, a national competition between universities to reduce waste during one home football game. This year, it came down to the LSU-Texas A&M matchup. The challenge is a Campus […]
Residents take action after spotting troubling sight floating down US river: ‘We all have to be vigilant’
Four organizations have come together to better understand the litter problem in rivers in Savannah, Georgia, and to prevent trash from entering these waterways. As Savannah Now reported, the City of Savannah, Savannah Riverkeeper, Ogeechee Riverkeeper, and Osprey Initiative are collaborating on cleanup efforts. Their collective goal is to identify the types of litter entering the […]
Binational partnership utilizing technology to help Keep Trash Out of the Rio Grande
LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) – A new binational partnership is using litter-capturing technology to stop waste before it reaches the Rio Grande. On Wednesday morning, the City of Laredo announced a partnership with Nuevo Laredo, Arca Continental, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, and the Osprey Initiative. Together, the groups are deploying devices on both sides of the border […]
Building Community Capacity to Reduce Marine Debris in Delaware
The Delaware Sea Grant program at the University of Delaware is removing over 11,000 pounds of debris from the upper Delaware Bay through the installation and maintenance of several interception devices. Type of Project: Interception Region: Mid-Atlantic Project Dates: October 2025 – September 2028 Who is involved? With support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the Delaware Sea Grant […]
Preventing Pervasive Floating Litter in New Orleans Storm Drains
Pontchartrain Conservancy is working with local partners to trap, remove, and prevent litter from accumulating in the City of New Orleans. Type of Project: Interception Region: Gulf of America Project Dates: November 2025 – October 2028 Who is involved? With support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Pontchartrain Conservancy is partnering with Osprey Initiative to install and maintain litter interception devices in […]
Four new types of litter devices installed at Capitol Lake to combat litter from stormwater runoff
BATON ROUGE — Four types of specialized stormwater little-trap systems are being implemented into the Capitol Lake. This is all part of the second phase of a litter management plan spearheaded by the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens and the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition. “It actually started from a resolution that the stormwater coalition got passed through […]
Litter booms trap trash in Savannah waterways
Almost 150 miles of canals crisscross Savannah. These manmade drainage systems abound with turtles, wading birds and fish, but they’re also often rife with trash. Styrofoam cups, plastic water bottles, and takeout boxes ride in on the runoff from streets and parking lots every time it rains. Volunteers clean them out periodically, but litter returns […]
Savannah Riverkeeper installing litter traps across Savannah to track trash in waterways
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Savannah Riverkeeper and their partners began their process to install eight litter booms, or traps, in waterways to help reduce plastic pollution. There will also be live-feed cameras tracking storm surge impacts to measure just how much litter flows through the water during any weather events which can help target hotspots as hurricane […]
Litter Gitter Genius: How To Embrace The Suck For A Cleaner World With Don Bates
Waterway litter removal isn’t easy—it’s messy, underfunded, and often overlooked. But for Don Bates, founder of Osprey Initiatives and inventor of the Litter Gitter, that’s exactly why it matters. In this episode, we explore how Don has built a mission-driven company that thrives by embracing the suck—transforming neglected urban streams, engaging underserved communities, and revolutionizing […]
San Antonio nonprofit works to remove waste from Salado Creek after record rainfall
SAN ANTONIO — It’s dirty work but Isai, Ismael and Julian say they’re honored to do it. The trio spent Thursday surrounded by muck as they worked to remove a huge trash island from the middle of Salado Creek in Martin Luther King Park in east-side San Antonio. Dislodged by recent heavy rains and trapped […]
Intercepting and Preventing Marine Debris in the Waterways of Savannah, Georgia
Savannah Riverkeeper is addressing waterborne litter that affects Georgia’s Ogeechee and Savannah River watersheds using proven trash interception devices, comprehensive data collection, and community engagement. Type of Project: Removal Funding Provided: $560,965 Total Project Amount: $617,015 Region: Southeast Project Dates: October 2024 – March 2028 Who is involved? With support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Savannah Riverkeeper is partnering with the Ogeechee […]
Savannah Riverkeeper installing litter booms across the city to track trash data in waterways
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – Savannah Riverkeeper and their partners began their process to install eight litter booms, or traps, in waterways to help reduce plastic pollution. There will also be live-feed cameras tracking storm surge impacts to measure just how much litter flows through the water during any weather events which can help target hotspots […]
16,503 littered plastic bottled and aluminum cans diverted from the landfill during Love The Boot Week
During Love the Boot Week, April 5-13, 2025, Coca-Cola partnered with Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) to spearhead the recycling of plastic bottles and aluminum cans collected at litter cleanup events in 27 parishes. This effort, facilitated by the Osprey Initiative, led to the successful diversion of 16,503 bottles and cans from the landfill – a 23% increase from last […]
Earth Day Cleanup at Gulf Village Kicks Off Flood Mitigation Efforts in Prichard Community
In celebration of Earth Day, the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) joined forces with the Mobile Housing Authority, Osprey Initiative, SCS Engineers, and the Student Conservation Association (SCA) to conduct a large-scale litter cleanup at Gulf Village Homes in Prichard. The event marks the beginning of a broader effort to address chronic flooding and water quality issues in the area, aligning […]
ExxonMobil joins Baton Rouge allies to protect wildlife, educate students and clean up local waterways
Environmental stewardship is an important part of the mission at ExxonMobil Baton Rouge, and its team members collaborate with local universities, environmental organizations and government agencies to develop solutions that benefit both industry and the environment. One place where this environmental stewardship happens is the Wildlife Education Building (WEB) and Arboretum around ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge […]
Cambridge Gets First Trash Trap to Track Down Choptank Litter
Trash-intercepting devices have been steadily picking up steam in urban waterways on the Chesapeake Bay and around U.S. waters. Baltimore is well known for its “family” of personified Trash Wheels. (In fact, plans for a new Trash Wheel on Back River were just announced). Norfolk installed a floating Seabin at the Nauticus waterfront some years back that captured a big […]
Community colleges around Alabama spending April hosting litter cleanup events
Throughout April, faculty, staff, and students from community colleges are working on community service projects throughout the state. There will be a series of litter pickup events in order to beautify towns near participating colleges. This will be done in conjunction with Alabama People Against a Littered State and the Coca-Cola UNITED spring cleanup, “Don’t Drop It on […]
Air Products donates $160K to TEDF for litter abatement and beautification efforts
Air Products has donated $160,000 through its Lake Maurepas Community Fund to the Tangipahoa Economic Development Foundation to support projects to reduce litter and beautify Tangipahoa parish. “Keeping a community litter-free is a massive undertaking, but one that’s well worth the investment,” said Danna LeBlanc, Commercial Executive Director of Air Products’ Louisiana Clean Energy Complex. […]