CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) announced they have received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Trash Free Waters Program to expand their Up2U Litter Prevention Campaign.
The Up2U Litter Prevention Campaign will extend to the six coastal counties and ten watersheds within the Coastal Bend.
The grant, totaling $422,857, seeks to cultivate a sustainable behavior-changing litter prevention program in our surrounding areas. The grant will also help the distribution of Up2U litter bags, education and outreach tools, and fund community cleanups.
"The cornerstone of the program is a yellow mesh bag emblazoned with the empowering Up2U message. The litter bags hold approximately 1/3rd yard of litter and serve as a tool for trash removal, trash prevention, and outreach," states CBBEP officials.
"Currently, in the Coastal Bend, these recognizable litter bags are made available by a few municipalities at certain beaches and bay public access points. This project is looking to fill in the gaps and expand the distribution so that every recreationist within six coastal counties of the Coastal Bend (Refugio, San Patricio, Aransas, Nueces, Kleberg, and Kenedy) has access to the litter bags," adds officials.
Approximately 150,000 Up2U litter bags will be distributed over the five-year project at community events and bag distribution sites, organizers say.
"If each Up2U litter bag holds approximately 1/3 cubic yard of litter, the project has the potential to prevent 50,000 cubic yards of litter from being left on beaches or allowed to reach coastal waterways! That’s 50,000 cubic yards of litter that will not be harming our fish and wildlife," says CBBEP officials.
Organizers say the original Up2U Litter Prevention Campaign was started by the Nueces River Authority (NRA) in the headwaters of the Nueces River, near Uvalde, Texas.
Since 2004, the headwaters campaign has distributed over 750,000 litter bags, which equates to about 250,000 cubic yards of litter being removed from the watershed, according to organizers.
“The Nueces River Authority has done such a wonderful job with the Up2U headwaters campaign, partnering with them to bring this model down to the coast was a natural fit,” said Kathryn Tunnell, Communications Manager for the CBBEP.
“We are hopeful that the campaign’s empowering message will inspire positive change that will benefit our coastal environments for years to come," added Tunnell.
CBBEP officials say the 2010 Census reported approximately 550,000 people living in the Coastal Bend and it is estimated that approximately that many visit the area each year.
"Litter and dumping along waterways, under bridges, and at water recreation sites is a huge problem in the Coastal Bend," states CBBEP officials.
"To change this behavior will require partners, strong messaging targeted at personal responsibility, and an integrated approach of reaching students and their parents, recreationists, recreation-oriented businesses, and communities," added officials.
This five-year project will begin in September of 2020, and CBBEP is seeking partners to hold distribution sites of litter bags and to support the goal of the program into the future.
If you are interested in providing input or becoming an Up2U project partner please email ktunnell@cbbep.org.
To learn more about the efforts of the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program's projects and initiatives visit www.cbbep.org.
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