News

Volunteer Coordinator Emily Fritz joined a team of researchers from N.C. State University in Kinston last week to launch the final part of a study — by launching plastic bottles into the Neuse River.

The bottles, armed with GPS trackers, are part of an effort to find out how trash gets into waterways, where it comes from, how far it travels and how it breaks down.

“I hadn’t had a chance to see this project in action, and my taking part kind of brought the project full circle for Sound Rivers — Sam (Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop) was there for the first one in Raleigh and I was there for the last one in Kinston,” Emily said.

The research is part of a larger project helmed by N.C. State’s Dr. Barbara Doll and doctoral student Madison Haley, studying trash and the impacts of macro- and microplastics in the water. Sound Rivers is one partner in the study: one of three Litter-Free Rivers’ trash traps on Marsh Creek provides source material for the kind of litter that ends up urban waterways.

See Emily’s WNCT interview here!

On a lighter note, in an effort to easily track all of the bottles, each has been given a “trashy” name, with a nod to the organizations and people partnering in the study. For Sound Rivers, those bottle names are:

Program Director Clay Barber: Clay the Container

Volunteer Coordinator Emily Fritz: Emily the Escaped Litter

Executive Director Heather Deck: Heather the Hazard

Development Coordinator Jay Potter: Jay the Junk

Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman: Katey the Cigarette

Business Manager Lauren Rowe: Lauren the Litter

Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop: Samantha the Stowaway

Water Quality Specialist Taylor Register Seijo: Taylor the Trash

Communications Director Vail Rumley: Vail the Vigilante

You can track the bottles on the bottle-tracking map app here!

Like Sound Rivers’ litter-free partnerships? So do we! Donate today to support Litter-Free Rivers!