Talkin’ Trash: The 2023 Foxcroft Road Pig Pen Awards

Talkin’ Trash: The 2023 Foxcroft Road Pig Pen Awards

By William H. McCormick

The year 2023 was the 22nd consecutive year of volunteer action to control trash on the Foxcroft Road.

I’ve been conducting this survey as a single observer. The numbers noted are somewhat understated because there must be other individuals who pick up trash on these roads. In 2023, I retrieved 925 individual pieces, and the 22-year total has been 23,314 pieces.

The course of collection is a 4.6-mile route of dirt and hard road that includes portions of Polecat Hill Road (Rt. 696), Foxcroft Road (Rt. 626), Goodstone Road (Rt. 744) and Millville Road (Rt. 743).

The top twelve contributors ranked by single numbers and percentages of total trash, are:

1. Miscellaneous: 117 (13%) (excluding generic cups/bottles, paper towels/ napkins and car parts)

2. AB InBev: 81 (9%)

3. Generic Cups and Bottles: 67 (7%)

4. Modelo: 65 (7%)

5. Bags, Plastic and Paper: 58 (6%)

6. Paper Towels and Napkins: 36 (4%)

7. Miller/Coor’s: 47 (5%)

8. Coca Cola: 35 (4%)

9. 7-11: 38 (4%)

10. Corona: 26 (3%)

11. Pepsico: 18 (2%)

12. Car Parts: 12 (1%)

The total number of 2023 trash items was 925. The average for the preceding fifteen years was 1,157. Last year, total trash items were a bit lower than average. Our biggest recent year was 2018 with 1377 pieces. These totals show no trend, but rather the intractability of the roadside trash problem.

The solution? It depends on multi-layered action by all the principles, including consciousness raising, corporate responsibility, individual and state participation, recycling, enforcement of existing laws, and the alluring goal of litter free country roads.

Some categories have dramatically changed production levels. Tobacco products have fallen to 2% of the total from as high as 9% in 2013. Foodlike edibles have fallen to 4% of the total from 9% in 2013. Labeled bottles and cans currently have a multiyear presence of 44%, as does Miscellaneous trash at 26%.

Fast food is relatively lower than in past years with McDonald’s (22) falling and 7-11 (38) taking up the slack. Both Coca Cola (35) and Pepsico (18) are down significantly from years past compared to AB InBev (81) or 9% of the total. Budweiser (32) and Bud Light (28) are AB InBev’s most prominent individual products. SAB Miller (47) trails its main competitors, while Modelo (65) has nearly doubled its production in the past three years to account for 7% of total trash.

Picking up road trash is a convenient opportunity to reaffirm one’s faith in society. To paraphrase Steven Dubner of National Public Radio, “Take care of your road, and, if you can, take care of somebody else’s road too.”

Dr. Willie McCormick is a long-time Middleburg area veterinarian and trash collector, extraordinaire.