#LitterWatch2017: Week 8

The weather this week can be summed up in two words:
Storm Doris. The litter was subjected to
plenty of wind and rain, and the napkin has officially been removed.  It didn’t disappear though: instead, it was
shredded into so many small pieces that it wasn’t practical to leave mounted on
the board.

Other changes include the cigarettes that were knocked
off the board a few weeks ago.  The paper
and tobacco are falling apart, but the cigarette butts—the bits that end up
getting tossed unthinkingly to the ground—are still in good shape.  Everything else is undergoing minor cosmetic
changes: colours fading and the texture altering as the products go through
cycles of getting soaked then drying.

As we enter the third month of LitterWatch2017, I have to
admit that even I’m surprised by the lack of changes. I had expected items like the Subway sandwich
wrapper and paper receipt to be in worse shape by now, but the coated paper is
proving incredibly resilient. Likewise,
the cardboard McDonald’s carton and cardboard takeaway container aren’t showing
much damage despite the wet conditions.
The plastic carrier bag, “biodegradable” balloon, and Lucozade bottle
seem practically indestructible. Perhaps I should change the name to Last Litter Standing?!

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