Cigarette butts, food wrappers severely clutter freeways

Q

The trash on our freeways is getting worse.

The orange Caltrans bags aren’t even picked up before the roadside is again trashed.

I’d like see an analysis of contents of the trash that Caltrans collects. Much of it appears to be construction debris and stuff that crews throw in their trucks. But the volume is so great that I can’t believe most of it is blowing out of open truck beds. — Michael Neviitt , Orinda

A

You may be in for a surprise. Cigarette butts make up nearly 40 percent of roadside trash, but are nearly invisible to spot as one barrels down a freeway. They pollute our waterways, plug drains, kill animals and fish that ingest them and start brush fires.

Excluding cigarette butts, the 10 most commonly littered items are napkins, plastic snack food wrappers, receipts, paper food wrappers, cellophane wrappers for cigarette packaging, printed papers, straws, plastic non-food wrappers and aluminum foil food wrappers.

Combine them and wrapping is the most littered product.

Q

I was driving on Highway 101 south of Eureka and watched a plastic lawn chair bounce up from the bed of the pickup in front, fly overboard and smash into the pavement in my path. I had to swerve quickly to avoid it.

Highway 101 and the roads in general are usually quite clean in that part of the state, but this incident got me thinking. So much of the trash, including all the largest and most visible, are not the kind of stuff that motorists casually chuck out the window. I think it is primarily bouncing out of open-bed trucks. What does the law say about the litter they strew behind them? — Scott Jorgenson, San Jose

A

Poorly covered loads are a big source of trash. Some of the surprising finds have included a 60-inch Sony TV, a large plastic play structure, ice chests, life preservers, ladders, a nightstand and, of course, folding chairs. Last month Caltrans held an event showing how to properly cover loads.

Vehicles are required to cover their loads if it contacts the sides, front and back of the cargo area within six inches from the upper edge or if the load extends at its peak above any part of the upper edge of the cargo area.

Q

One day on Cochran Road we followed a Recology truck and counted 23 pieces of trash blowing out. Finally at a red light I was able to tell the driver that trash was blowing out of his truck. He said “Oh, ok,” and drove onto 101. He did not stop to find out what was wrong. — Mike Bernal, Morgan Hill

A

Another reason why roads in Santa Clara County were ranked in poor condition in 2016.