November 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 50

TRASH TRAPS

Gathering the Data
Data collected by analyzing the
trash captured by the different technologies provides insight into the
amount and types of trash found in
the watershed and can help identify potential sources for this trash.
For example, older trash can indicate a historic dumping site, while
newer trash can point to the need
for improving the number, location and emptying of receptacles.
The methodology used to collect
this information is called Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol
(ETAP), which was created by the
Trash Free Waters Program of the
EPA (epa.gov/trash-free-waters).
It is an easy way to collect reliable
data on trash found in waterways
and communities. The ETAP data
shows the weight of materials collected, the waste type (paper, metal, glass, plastic, etc.) and categorical amounts (bottles, chip bags,
cups, cans, etc.). Data collected
reveals trends at each location and
additional mitigation and outreach
that should be employed. Projects
should carefully consider the level
of data needed and the ways this

data might be used to help advance
efforts in the local community.
The Atlanta sites have collectively removed a total of 454.22
pounds of recyclables and 1,040.52
pounds of trash from the watershed through the end of June 2020.
The higher-capacity Bandalong,
which is in a larger body of water fed by tributaries, accounts for
more than half the material collected, even though it was installed in
November 2019. The details from
the ETAP process have helped the
partners identify litter trends in
specific parts of the watershed that
are helping them form strategies
for outreach to the community, as
well as businesses to help prevent
waste from entering Proctor Creek.

Workforce Development
Installing trash traps begs the question: Who will operate and maintain these devices? Groundwork
Atlanta recognized this as an opportunity to increase green jobs
and develop a workforce around
the maintenance and operation
of this technology in Atlanta.
Through collaboration with Geor-

Workforce Development team
members clean and collect materials from
the trash traps on a regular maintenance
schedule or after heavy rain.

Parks & Recreation

gia Trade-Up, alongside the trash
trap manufacturers, Groundwork
Atlanta trained local crews on
maintenance for each technology
and methods to collect data utilizing ETAP. Currently, two teams
each consisting of two to four local community members maintain
both of the traps. Team members
clean and collect materials from
the traps on a regular maintenance
schedule or after heavy rain.
By connecting Atlanta residents
to employment created through this
and other green infrastructure projects, benefits in local communities
are multiplied. The value of investing
in resources and people to help clean
up the environment and maintain
safer, healthier places to live, work
and play cannot be understated.

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Education and Outreach
WAWA initially planned to educate
Proctor Creek-area high school students on nonpoint-source pollution
(pollutants accumulated in precipitation runoff that enters into waterways from land) its impact on
waterways, as well as ways to use
the ETAP process to understand
the types of waste in local waterways. Their initial tours focused
on working with the maintenance
team to clean out the traps and the
ETAP sorting activity, along with
discussing watershed dynamics and
nonpoint (stemming from many
places) and point-source (stemming
from a single place) pollution. But
as COVID-19 started to impact
communities in the early spring,
in-person educational outreach had
to be reconsidered. With WAWA's
extensive experience with engaging
the local community, they pivoted
and are creating an online portal
with integrated educational videos,
engagement and learning outcomes
to educate local groups through a

November 2020 - Parks & Recreation

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