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 to improve water quality and streamline cleanup efforts.
In Laredo, two litter booms have already been installed along Zacate Creek.
“It sits in the water and collects litter that floats within the top foot of the water,” said Yael Girard, senior product manager for the Osprey Initiative. “Anywhere that has rivers, streams, even lakes with stormwater outfalls, these kinds of devices can really help collect the litter in one area and make it much easier to remove. We know that Zacate Creek is an urban waterway here in Laredo and has historically had quite a bit of litter moving through it. So the boom has been selected in these locations to collect that material, to keep it from moving further downstream and eventually going into the Rio Grande.”
According to a press release, the technology has already prevented more than 5,000 pounds of waste from entering the Rio Grande.
This story originally appeared on KGNS. View the full story online here.
