'More junk than plant life:' Volunteers tackle trash problem on St. John's highway

Wading through muddy water along the Outer Ring Road to pick up trash while manyothers their age were warm inside, three young men braved high winds and rain Sunday to help make St. John's clean and beautiful.

It's the second time the trio have taken part in an Outer Ring Road cleanup.

"It's polluting the world and people don't have the right mind to throw it in the garbage themselves, so we are going to do that," said Matthew Bruce, 13.

Matthew, along with his brother Andrew, their buddy Lucas Flynn (and their parents),picked up takeaway coffee cups, car parts and at least one dirty diaper.

It wasn't the hard work that made them a little upset.

"I'm pretty sad because there is not a lot of stuff out here that is supposed to be out here there is more junk than plant life," said Lucas, 13.

It's the first time since 2017 that Clean St. John's shut downthe Outer Ring Road to traffic to pick uptrash on the road that leads to StavangerDrive and the city's dump.

"We get a lot of complaints about litter on the Outer Ring Road so we thought it's time to do something about it," said Karen Hickman, Clean St. John's executive director.

Partnering with the provincial government's Department of Transportation and Works, the City of St. John's, Metrobus and Eastern Waste, a large group of peopletried to tackle a growing problem.

Armed with gloves, safety vests and plastic bags, dozens of volunteers got their hands dirty and their feet wet tackling the trash buildup, some of which was obviously destined for the Robin Hood Bay dump, butjust never made it there.

"Another issue we have with the Outer Ring Road is unsecured loads, and that's what contributes to a lot of litter on the Outer Ring Road so that is something we are going to tackle," Hickman said.

"Once this is all over it's going to be on our agenda to do."

For regular highway user Tina Smith, the sightof the soiled landscape was enough to get her out and picking up garbage.

"I don't understand it. We have such a beautiful place. We spend millions on these commercials for tourism in Newfoundland, and this is what they are going to see when they arrive," she said.

"It's enough that they have to put up with the weather they don't want to see dirt too."

Andrew, 10, picked up a few bags himself while dropping some hard truths about the habits of some people who drive on the Outer Ring Road.

"It's kind of disgusting because I am just thinking how people just throw it out on the side of the highway" Bruce said.

"I just don't like it."

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