Trash

St. Croix has litter too, but I don't know if it's more or less than on the other islands. There have been several anti-litter initiatives on St. Croix in recent years, so we're improving at least. There are more trash bins, anti-litter signs, and organized litter pick-ups on beaches and roadways.

By the way, if you're picky about trash, then you might hate living on any of the islands because of the hundreds of other things that don't meet stateside standards.

Trash seems to go in cycles here on STX. Occasionally we see more in our area, and it goes on for a few weeks...then it's pretty clean for a while. Overall, we have more liter than you might be used to, but not horrible. Jump in, like we do, and pick it up to keep your neighborhood clean and green!

it's st. john (no 's')... and unfortunately people litter in such a beautiful place. never understood it myself.

but, if that's your deal breaker, fuggedaboudit... there's a lot more here that will get under your skin as stxbob says. keep reading the board!

and please check out the relocation center link at the top of the page.

I do find this completely incredible: the almost total absence of public trash cans here. To me this is such a basic amenity that everyone else in the civilized world has figured out. I know they would have to create jobs to collect the trash at public sites, but maybe this would help people keep the island cleaner and we would get more money from tourism!

At Rainbow beach there is that one trash can and it is always overflowing - absolutely disgusting, not the image of a tropical beach that people want to take with them. And every beach after a cruise ship is covered in trash. I went to Rainbow a month ago, and the whole beach was covered in plastic cups and glass beer bottles. I sat there with my friends (visitors) and I saw the tide was coming up and about to wash all the plastic cups into the ocean. Of course I picked them up, but there was nowhere to put them because the trash can was way beyond overflowing. Even the Carambola Beach Resort - nobody "services" the pool, so if slobs leave their trash around, it just sits there for a while. To me it is obvious that you send someone down to pick it up right away. Why wait? It just looks so gross.

At Jump Up (huge street festival) I have walked around with trash in my hands for 10 minutes, until I get to a trash can. How many people who just throw their stuff on the ground would toss it in a trash can if there was one right there?? In NYC there is a trash can on every single corner, and it is awesome. Christiansted could definitely support a few - is there even a single one?

So trash is one of my pet peeves here. Just another dysfunction that I do not understand.

i think that people should take their trash with them when leaving beaches and national park areas if no trash receptacle is available and take it to a dumpster. not finding a trash can does not absolve the individual of responsibility of disposing of trash.

at the jump-up, i agree, there need to be trash cans for real, due to the amount of consumables bought on site. i know in downtown charlotte amalie (st. thomas), there are trash cans for people to use... during st. thomas carnival in the village and in the field, there were plenty of trash cans as well. so i don't think this is a virgin islands thing. as simple as it may seem to you, perhaps someone should speak with the organizers of the jumpup or ask a vendor to put in a word.

I love that yesterday at the beginning of the parade VI Waste Management was the first "troupe"... walked down the route handing out huge trash bags. Of course there's so much trash on the street by the afternoon but even if only those of us who grew up where littering wasn't accepted did our part it does affect those around us. As we left, I left the bag in my empty spot (knowing they do the clean up right after the Traditional Indians) and a woman said "Great! There's a trash bag". I truly believe it will change with the children.

Its not that I'm picky I'm a biologist and just believe in taking care of mother earth. It awesome that there are laws in place and people go out and help pick up litter. Thanks for the feedback.

Jeff

I'll never forget my 1st time on STT driving down the road in front of me I kept seeing Mcdonalds wrappers flying out the window and this was from a local. I was amazed how many times I've seen it over the course of several trips there. I would think because the economy is tourism it would be opposite. I had 40 people down there in Nov for my wedding and most of them mentioned it to me. I don't really notice it as much anymore I guess because I'm used to it but I told them this is just how it is on most islands. I didn't know what else to say it's sad to see.

An Update from the previous thread of cleaning up the roads during the Ironman...

Met with one of the directors of VIWMA on his lunch break about 20mins ago, pointed out some of the big piles of tires and appliance along my road. He stated he would have a backhoe and truck come bye tomorrow and clear everything out.

So again use the VIWMA website to report problem areas on the islands...so far they have been extremely responsive, my wife and I have had two phone conversations and now one face to face in 10 days since our initial report. I'll keep you posted on how long it takes to completely clean up the road

That is very neat that something is being done. Thanks for the feed back!

There is no way to defend the condition of our roads and parks.

One of the problems is that SOME people have a view of life that the world is for them and that laws do not apply to them. They only apply to others. Everything from driving to garbage is the problem. When the government picks up the trash on the side of the road it looks great. But only for a day.

The other day was on Sapphire Beach and a person just left empty bottles and trash on the beach. There was a can not 10 feet away. So I called out to him and her turned around just in time to see me pick up his trash and carry it to the can. I said nothing but hopefully he will not do it again. By the way he was NOT a local!

Hopefully someday it will be different. Just do want you can do and perhaps people will follow.

billd

thanks for that update allmashup, nice to hear!

billd, i just don't understand some folk and how they can just leave crap laying around figuring someone else is going to pick it up. when it's in front of their house, they will certainly have a fit about it though.

Anita - I agree with you, that people are responsibly for their own trash. However, we have all seen lots of litterbugs here and plenty of other places. I just think if the VI government would be a little proactive, and put trash cans at the beach, we would be sitting next to less litter, because not everyone cares and brings their trash out with them.

I think problem-solving is taking steps to change the problem, and having public trash cans is just a suggestion, but I think it is pretty smart. Not saying I'm a rocket scientist for figuring it out, though!

*-)

Anita - I agree with you, that people are responsibly for their own trash. However, we have all seen lots of litterbugs here and plenty of other places. I just think if the VI government would be a little proactive, and put trash cans at the beach, we would be sitting next to less litter, because not everyone cares and brings their trash out with them.

I think problem-solving is taking steps to change the problem, and having public trash cans is just a suggestion, but I think it is pretty smart. Not saying I'm a rocket scientist for figuring it out, though!

*-)

you're certainly a lot smarter than the folks who will throw trash on the ground even when provided with a trash can though!

One idea I really like from this thread that would be very simple to implement is 'More Trash Cans at Jump-Up'.

Vendors at every jump-up must register and must pay a fee to be there. As part of their agreement, it should be written in that they will provide a trash can, trash bags, and will keep the trash receptacle in a visible area and useable. It will be their responsibility to replace the trash bag when it is full with an empty one, and to haul away the bags of trash when they pack up for the evening. Done. Part of being a Jump-up participant.

How does one go about suggesting this to the Jump-Up powers that be? It seems simple enough to implement.

Same rule should apply at all street fairs, at cruise ship docks, for tour operators, etc. Especially for food vendors. Really, the people in control of these events are in control of the trash handling. Make it required in order to participate. 🙂

I think there are organized trash clean-ups immediately after Jump Ups, parades, festivals, etc., but more trash cans would help. In last week's Jump Up, I had to look harder than usual to find them.

I was kayaking off Fredriksted this morning.
Many of the beaches looked great.
Alas, one or two already had bottles strewn on them.
For "that crowd" trashcans probably wouldn't work.
What we really need is a roving bands of paid picker-uppers.
I'd gladly pay a BOTTLE tax if it would pay for more help with this problem.

I'm w A Davis on this in that I just can't understand why anyone would litter such a beautiful place??
I don't get it.
It's one thing to be rude to visitors & other implants here, but entirely another to disrespect our beauty, our home.

It is these people I disrespect & treat VERY rudely back to.
Unfortunately, they don't understand any other language.

In San Diego - Recycling not only exists - you get MONEY BACK for turning in your cans and bottles.
so In the days before the banned drinking on the beach, the homeless (and others) would walk the beaches with bags picking up peoples bottles and cans so they could get the refund.
now - they still go through trash cans and alleys... but it was great for keeping the beaches clean.