SUP Cleanup, April 2010, Wrightsville Beach, NC

Article and Photography by Tyler Hustrulid.

The Wilmington Chapter’s cleanup events continue to grow and April’s outing was no different. Last weekend boasted a new record attendance in both participants and variety of self-powered watercraft. Paddleboards, canoes, kayaks (and even an outrigger canoe) joined the effort.

The group gathered and launched out of the docks at Motts Channel Seafood on Short Street. It was a beautifully sunny Saturday morning but a little windy, so we kept the paddle easy by heading just up the channel to one of the islands we visited last month. Even though we had collected many bags full of litter on this island just weeks before, the amount of trash still there is astounding.

The group decided to split in two, one group patrolling the windward side and the second the lee, meeting back on the sandy beach in the middle to load our bags on the Sea Tow boat that so generously offered to lend us a hand. In less than an hour, we had collected more litter than we had bags to hold it.

Having run out of trash bags, the group dispersed. Many set out for a leisurely paddle among the spoil islands, some opted for a training run in preparation for Intracoastal SUP Cup being held here next month, and a swarm of kids and parents remained on the beach to paddle and play.

While others got on with enjoying their Saturday morning on the water, Sea Tow shuttled the collected garbage bags across the ICW to Dockside Restaurant, where we waited to meet Kevin with Go Eco Disposal. We unloaded the bags from the boat and into the parking lot where they stretched-out in a long line of bulging black plastic forms. Patrons, enjoying their morning on the dock, gawked and asked where all the garbage had come from. Some even sauntered over for a closer look at all we had collected and to offer their thanks for what is often a thankless job.

It wasn’t long before Kevin pulled into the parking lot in his clean, white pickup truck and we noticed that the motor sounded a little different. “Yeah, that’s because it runs on biodiesel,” he told us. Kevin and his family own and operate Go Eco Disposal, a local garbage collection business that reuses or recycles everything that they can. Their entire operation is devoted towards minimizing their impact, improving sustainability, and giving back to the community, a perfect partner for SUP Cleanup! What’s more, a portion of the money Go Eco earns from recycling aluminum is donated to environmental charities in the Wilmington area, so during the cleanup, we tried to keep separate as many of the soda and beer cans that we could. It was great to have Go Eco Disposal’s help with our April cleanup and we look forward to having them back for many more.

If you would like to come along for a cleanup, our next meeting is planned for Saturday, May 8 at 9AM at Middle Sound Marina.  Also, be sure to Like SUP Cleanup on Facebook to keep up with all the latest events and news!