Twenty Minutes on a Break

The weather this November has been lovely, so I’ve been doing bike cleanups during my breaks.

Yesterday, I paused by the Edinburgh Road bridge over the Speed for a closer look at a mink playing on the far bank. It disappeared into the driftwood. What didn’t disappear was the debris scattered along the water and the shoreline: drink containers, cigarette butts, someone’s art kit that went for a dive and, most surprising, a PlayStation 4.

The PlayStation had been there a while, cracked and rusted orange. We’ve all heard of liquid cooling for consoles, but I don’t think this is what they meant.

Today’s ride ended slightly downstream, but the finds were no less eclectic: a rubber mallet, gift ribbons for an early start on Christmas, and a few grocery bags of fabric and condiments dumped in the brush. Beside them was an empty bottle of Zest soap, which suggests someone understood at least half of what “clean living” means.

Most of our recent cleanups have involved waders and a full afternoon in the river, but twenty minutes on a break adds up too (to 4 kg including e-waste, in this case). You don’t need gear to make a difference, just a walk outside and a bag. We’d love to hear what you’ve been finding on your travels.