£% United States
Environmental Protection
hI # %Agency
E P A-84 l-B-21-003
April 2021
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash
Assessment Protocol (ETAP)
Reference Manual
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This protocol is a multi-regional collaboration by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
personnel in both the Trash Free Waters and the Sustainable Materials Management Programs,
with feedback from numerous external organizations. It presents the most efficient method of
collecting and sorting mismanaged trash pollution that has escaped into the environment. Pilot
testers, recognized below, provided meaningful modifications to the initial draft methodology
after field use of the protocol. Collaborators also considered aspects of other trash-assessment
protocols such as California's On-Land Visual Program and the Coastal Observation and Seabird
Survey Team (COASST), the data card produced by Keep America Beautiful, and CalRecycle's
packaging efforts.
Pilot testers of ETAP: Don Bates (Osprey Initiative, Inc.), Ellie Mallon, Zero Waste Washington,
Platte River, Missouri, Missouri Department of Conservation, Bridging the Gap, EPA Region 4 Gulf
of Mexico Division grant recipients, Roberta Swann and Jason Kudulis of the Mobile Bay National
Estuary Program, Dog River Clearwater Revival, Mystic River Watershed Association, Washington
D.C. Department of Energy & Environment, Maryland Department of Environment, Tonya
Bronleewe at the Wichita State University Environmental Finance Center and Rachel Bartels with
the Missouri Confluence Waterkeepers.
San Francisco Estuary Institute and Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
contributors include Tony Hale and Shelly Moore.
EPA staff collaborators include Emma Maschal, Gayle Hubert, Margaret McCauley, Layne
Marshall, Calista Mills, Amy Newbold, Rachel Renz, Jillian Adair, Doug Jacobson, Renee Bellew,
Chris Plymale, Kate Irish Terrado, Sally Goodman, Gail Louis, Luisa Valiela, Hudson Slay, Erica
Yelensky, Amanda Hong, Erika Larsen, Joshua Baker, Kelly Somers, Sydney Barnes-Grant, Regina
Lyons, Karen Simpson, Sydney Harris, Wade Lehmann, Thomas McGill, Robert Benson, and
Romell Nandi.
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Contents
ACKNOWLEDG EM ENTS 1
EXECUTIVE SUM MARY 5
INTRODUCTION 6
Sources of Aquatic Trash 7
Movement in the Environment 7
The Plastic Problem 8
Aquatic, Terrestrial, and Habitat Impacts of Trash 8
Impacts to Recreation, Tourism and Economy 9
Trash Prevention 10
TRASH DATA COLLECTION 11
The Importance of a Uniform Methodology 11
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP) OF ETAP 13
Step 1: Site Selection and Boundary Determination 13
IA. Site Selection 13
IB. Determination of Boundary Coordinates 14
Step 2: Site Characterization and Cleanup 16
2A. Site Characteristics 16
2B. Site Cleanup Methods 17
2C. Cataloging Method 21
2D. Double Countingfor Quality Assurance 22
2E. Photographing and Measuring Trash 22
2F. Disposing of Materials Properly 23
Step 3: Data Entry and Analysis 24
3A. Spreadsheet Summary 24
3B. Data Entry 24
3C. Analysis 25
USING ETAP TO INFORM UPSTREAM DECISIONS 28
REFERENCES 29
APPENDICES 31
Appendix 1: Visual Trash Assessment 31
Appendix 2: Field Site Summary Sheet 35
Appendix 3: Field Data Card 39
Appendix 4: Field Reference Sheet 42
Appendix 5: Examples of Using the Field Data Card 46
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Appendix 6: Volume-to-Weight Conversion Table 47
Appendix 7: ETAP Table Cards 53
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol (ETAP) was created by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) Trash Free Waters Program (TFW) with support from Regional Staff in a
variety of EPA programs including the Sustainable Materials Management program. TFW works to
prevent and reduce the amount of trash entering our waterways. Trash that escapes waste
management systems can end up in rivers, lakes, wetlands and coastal waters via transport
mechanisms such as wind, stormwater, and improper disposal.
There is a lack of uniform data on the types of distribution of trash materials in the environment. This
protocol provides an easy to use, consistent methodology for identifying a cleanup site, collecting the
escaped trash, and cataloging the trash in a way that produces reliable data. This will give users a
better understanding of the extent of litter in their community, the types of litter that are prevalent,
and how best to reduce potential impacts.
ETAP can be used by anyone, particularly community beautification and pollution prevention groups,
volunteer cleanup groups, watershed organizations, citizen scientists, state and local agencies,
student environmental education and engagement organizations, and MS4 permit holders. Site
leaders are encouraged to train others on the protocol before data collection begins. After site
selection, characterization and cleanup, items recovered from the environment are sorted and
categorized. Item tallies help provide users with a highly detailed trash profile for the area.
ETAP can be used to answer a broad range of management and monitoring questions. For example,
the tool can be used to quantify and compare trash loadings across time, habitat type, land use type,
etc. as well as identify trends in the specific material types and categories of trash collected. Groups
can add features to the methodology to address the types of data they want to produce, such as
certain item types or brand of trash collected.
ETAP is a living tool. TFW hopes that communities will benefit from the use of ETAP and make
suggestions for any necessary changes. Over the next few years, innovation in packaging and the
influx of trash tracking data may require an update to ETAP.
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INTRODUCTION
Trash pollution is a growing problem in the U.S. and around the world. This document is intended to
help individuals, communities, and agencies learn more about trash pollution and develop data-
based solutions to the problem. It provides a consistent, easy-to-use protocol that can be applied in
a variety of environments. The EPA Trash Free Waters (TFW) program developed this Escaped Trash
Assessment Protocol (ETAP) in collaboration with EPA's Sustainable Materials Management program
and many partners around the country who field tested it and provided valuable feedback.
What is escaped trash? Escaped trash refers to all types of mismanaged man-made materials that
have been directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the
environment - this includes litter and floatable debris. Trash has become one of the most pervasive
forms of pollution facing the world's freshwater and marine aquatic habitats. It is also becoming an
expensive problem in the U.S., costing more than $11 billion in clean up each year (Keep America
Beautiful, 2010).
ETAP was developed as a tool to help communities characterize and quantify trash pollution and
identify emerging data trends both on-land and in aquatic environments. Its ultimate purpose is to
provide a broad-reaching and comprehensive method for collecting and analyzing escaped trash in a
uniform and consistent way so that assessments can be compared across time and geography.
Please read this document in its entirety before planning a site cleanup event. This reference
manual begins with a discussion of the sources, movement, and impacts of aquatic trash. Guidelines
on the protocol itself begin on page 13, with instructions for selecting sites (Step 1). conducting
cleanups and categorizations (Step 2). and entering data into the tool for analysis (Step 3). Examples
of how ETAP can be used to inform upstream decisions can be found on page 28.
This document also contains a short photo guide to the California On-Land Visual Trash Assessment
(Appendix 1): a Field Site Summary Sheet for entering the characteristics of your site (Appendix 2): a
Field Data Card, for recording tallies and other findings in the field (Appendix 3): a Field Reference
Sheet that explains the various trash item categories within the data card (Appendix 4): examples of
how to use the data card (Appendix 5): a volume-to-weight conversion table to assist with
measurement (Appendix 6): and optional table cards to use during categorization (Appendix 7).
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Sources of Aquatic Trash
The amount of waste produced by U.S. consumers continues to rise, more than tripling between
1960 and 2018 (U.S. EPA, 2020). In 2018, the U.S. generated 292.4 million tons of municipal solid
waste, or 4.9 pounds per person per day. Unfortunately, not all of this trash is recycled, composted
or disposed of effectively.
Trash enters waterways from many sources. Stormwater runoff from urban areas is a leading source
- most communities do not have screens or trash capture devices in their stormwater systems to
collect litter before it is washed off streets into waterways (Moore & Allen, 2000). Trash can also be
intentionally (and illegally) dumped, and it can unintentionally escape from waste management
systems, e.g., from overfilled trash bins, or during transportation to landfills (Ocean Conservancy,
2017). Over time, improperly disposed of trash from inland areas travels to coasts by wind,
stormwater conveyances, streams, and rivers (GESAMP, 2015). Lightweight materials carried by the
wind and stormwater can be dispersed far from their original sources.
A well-known paper "Marine Pollution: Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into the Ocean," published in
Science, estimated that approximately 8 million metric tons of plastic leaks into our oceans globally
each year (Jambeck et al., 2015). In 2020, several of the same authors of that 2015 study gathered
to provide an updated estimate on the United States' contribution of plastic waste to land and
ocean. Researchers found that in 2016, the U.S. generated the largest amount of plastic waste of
any country in the world at 42 million metric tons. The amount of that waste estimated to leak into
the environment is five times larger than the amount predicted for 2010, rendering the U.S.'
contribution among the highest in the world (Jambeck et al., 2020).
Movement in the Environment
Accumulating trash pollution has been documented in inland waterways and rivers as well as
oceans, so solutions should not be entirely marine-focused. In fact, many researchers suggest
working on upstream and inland efforts to prevent trash from getting into waterways and the ocean.
The movement of trash in the environment varies based on many factors such as the size, weight,
density and buoyancy of the trash. Small, light-weight trash items, such as plastic or synthetic
rubber, may travel from land via rivers and
streams all the way to mid-ocean locations,
whereas other trash items may remain trapped
in freshwater environments.
In the ocean, transport of trash, particularly
plastics, is complex. Biophysical and chemical
processes contribute to plastic breakdown and
buoyancy (Ye & Andrady, 1991). Approximately
half of all plastics are neutrally to positively
buoyant and thus remain close to the ocean
surface (U.S. EPA, 1992). The other half sink
until reaching neutral buoyancy or resting on the
sea floor.
As international concerns on this issue rise,
available information about aquatic debris and
plastic pollution increases. By incorporating
PACIFIC GYRE
NORTH
ATLANTIC GYRE
NORTH
SOUTH
ATLANTIC GYRE
SOUTH
PACIFIC G
M INDIAN
W OCEAN GYRI
Figure 1: Oceanic gyres are high pressure convergence zones,
supported by ocean current dynamics, where trash in the ocean
(i.e. "marine debris" and micropiastics) can accumulate.
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marine litter and plastic pollution action plans into the international G7, G20, United Nations
Environment Assembly (UNEA) and trade agreements like the U.S.- Mexico- Canada Agreement
(USMCA), many governments are making a statement about the need to (1) more deeply understand
the sources and fate of trash in the ocean and freshwater bodies, and (2) find effective local
solutions to a global, non-point source pollution problem (Japan Ministry of the Environment, 2019;
USMCA, 2020).
The Plastic Problem
Plastic has garnered increased attention as it accounts for most of the recorded litter and because
of its persistence and negative effects on the environment, wildlife, and human health (National
Geographic, 2020). Plastic trash is found floating on surface waters, suspended throughout the
water column and residing on the floor of almost all bodies of water, as well as throughout terrestrial
habitats and urban, residential centers (Eriksen et al., 2014; Keep America Beautiful, 2009).
Escaped plastic trash is transported to the ocean via streams, rivers, storm drains, and wind, where
it moves with the ocean currents and persists in the marine environment for years, continuously
breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics.
Plastic resin pellets (used in plastic manufacturing), plastic microfibers from washing synthetic
textiles, and microplastics generated from tire abrasion and used in personal cosmetics and
cigarette filters are all commonly found in the environment (Boucher & Friot, 2017). Macro-plastics
(larger sized plastic trash) can eventually break down into microplastics, a process which takes
longer in the ocean than on land due to cool oceanic temperatures (Ye & Andrady, 1991; U.S. EPA,
1992).
Surveys of the North Pacific central gyre for floating plastics and plankton verify that the amount of
plastic material in the ocean is increasing over time, both because of increased contributions of
plastics from land sources and because of the retention of existing plastics in ocean gyres (Day &
Shaw, 1987).
Aquatic, Terrestrial, and Habitat Impacts of Trash
There is a substantial body of evidence documenting the harmful physical and chemical effects of
trash on aquatic and terrestrial species. It has been estimated that plastic waste adversely affects
many species globally, including 86% of sea turtles, 44% of seabirds, and 43% of marine mammals
(Marine Debris, 2016). The most common threats to wildlife both in aquatic and terrestrial
environments include physical hazards from ingestion and entanglement, and toxicological threats
from ingestion of contaminants attached to and trapped within plastic particles (Oceana, 2020).
Problems associated with the ingestion of plastics include development of internal and external
wounds, impairment of feeding, decreased mobility and predatory avoidance, and reproductive
failure (Wright et. al., 2013). Entanglement in packaging bands, synthetic ropes, lines, nets and
other debris may impact an animal's ability to swim resulting in difficulty moving, finding food, or
escaping predators (Oceana, 2020). Ultimately, entanglement can lead to infection, loss of limbs,
drowning, strangulation, or suffocation.
Contaminants accumulated on the surface of plastic particles as well as chemical additives and
fillers within the plastic can be released to the environment when the plastics break down into
smaller particles as a result of ultraviolet radiation, mechanical forces, and weathering (Gewert et al.,
2015). Many of these toxic chemicals, such as PCBs and DDTs and plasticizers such as phthalates,
are known endocrine disruptors and developmental toxicants (Costa et. al, 2008). Researchers are
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currently looking at the effects that trash and associated compounds have on food webs, as
microplastics have been found in every part of the marine food chain (Oceana, 2020).
As trash accumulates, habitat structure is modified, sunlight is reduced in underlying waters, and
oxygen levels can be depleted (Oceana, 2020). Trash can settle to the bottom of a waterbody or float
on the surface, impacting aquatic flora and fauna throughout the water column. As the physical
structure of the habitats are modified, species that are dependent on these habitats for foraging and
shelter are negatively impacted. Additionally, when trash travels between different habitats, it can
carry non-native species that may become invasive and disrupt the ecology of distinct environments
(Carlton et. al, 2017).
Trash that accumulates in the open ocean can act as a new habitat as it travels or can even act like
a Fish Aggregation Device (FAD). FADs are used to increase efficiency in fishing as they attract a
variety of marine life including pelagic fish. When many individuals congregate at these trash FADs,
the likelihood of ingestion or entanglement increases (NOAA, 2017).
Impacts to Recreation, Tourism and Economy
Trash pollution can directly interfere with recreation and navigation, impede commercial and
recreational fishing, threaten human health and safety, and reduce tourism.
Aquatic trash reduces the aesthetic and recreational values of rivers, beaches, and marine
resources. The buildup of plastic debris on beaches, in public parks, and along waterway access
locations is of concern to communities because unsightly trash and entangled wildlife reduces the
area's attractiveness to local residents and tourists.
"Ghost fishing," the accidental harm to fish and invertebrates by lost fishing nets, traps, and pots,
undermines economic opportunities in commercial and recreational fishing (NOAA, 2015). Ghost
fishing competes with active fishing for limited resources and decreases the reproductive capacities
of fish and invertebrate stocks. Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear in the oceans
contribute to an estimated 10% of global marine litter (Macfadyen et. al, 2009).
Trash items that pool water, such as tires, support mosquito production and associated risks of
diseases that have negative biological and public health impacts beyond a waterbody. Beaches in
New York and New Jersey were closed to protect the public from medical waste that washed ashore
in 1988. It was estimated that the loss of revenue from beach closures in 1988 to New Jersey alone
was in the range of $706 million to nearly $3 billion (Grebe, 2013; U.S. EPA, Trash-Free Waters).
A recent study funded by NOAA estimated that if marine debris was nearly eliminated in coastal
Alabama, beach visits would increase by over 300,000 visitor days and contribute an additional $35
million in tourism spending (English et al., 2019). The same study modeled that if the amount of
marine debris doubled on those same Alabama beaches, beach visits would decrease by 1 million
visitor days, tourism spending would decrease by over $113 million, and there would be a loss of
more than 2,000 local jobs (English et al., 2019).
Escaped trash also imposes harsh economic impacts on the local communities spending millions of
dollars to address it every year (Marine Debris, 2016). For example, nearly 50 million people live in
Washington, Oregon, and California and over 85% of that population live adjacent to the ocean or
along waterways that lead to the ocean (Stickel et al., 2012). In 2012, EPA conducted a study to
quantify the cost incurred to clean up litter and prevent trash from entering waterways by 90 cities in
California, Oregon, and Washington. Each city was located along the coast or in watersheds draining
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to the ocean. The results of the study reveal that these west coast communities, regardless of their
size, spend an annual average of $13 per resident to control litter and reduce trash pollution, a total
more than $520 million dollars a year (Stickel et al., 2012).
Trash Prevention
Prevention of trash and litter can reduce local and downstream pollution, conserve energy, reduce
the toxicity of our waste in the environment, cut costs for consumers and businesses, and reduce the
financial burden of cleanup. Existing prevention strategies to reduce trash pollution include
expanding curbside pickup, switching to secure waste bins, reducing single-use packaging,
increasing the market value of recyclable materials, and reusing valuable materials.
There are also various technologies and best management practices that help to reduce trash and
litter. Some effective examples include street sweeping, curb screens for trash reduction,
adaptations of storm water management systems, targeted education and outreach, and trash cans
with lids that prevent materials from escaping into the environment. Strategic placement and
convenient access to waste receptacles are also key for decreasing urban litter (Keep America
Beautiful, 2009).
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TRASH DATA COLLECTION
The Importance of a Uniform Methodology
To reduce trash and its impacts on natural habitats, human health, and the economy, changes are
needed at the consumer, business, local, state, and federal government levels. Statistically
significant data are essential to empower stakeholders to address aquatic pollution and improper
waste disposal. While many students, scientists, businesses, and organizations are tracking litter,
inconsistent methods of data collection and analysis compromise the collective impact of these
efforts.
Most available qualitative and quantitative data on trash in the environment come from coastal,
riverbank, or other community cleanups. This information is dependent on organizations and
volunteers tracking the item type, quantity, and location of collected trash. Based on current
available data, most tracked litter is made up of disposable items used daily by people - largely food
and beverage packaging.
The items listed below were the Top 10 items collected during the 2020 International Coastal
Cleanup where volunteers around the world removed over 20 million pounds of trash from the
environment (Ocean Conservancy, 2020):
1. Food wrappers (candy, chips, etc.)
2. Cigarette butts
3. Plastic beverage bottles
4. Plastic bottle caps
5. Straws & stirrers
6. Plastic cups & plates
7. Plastic grocery bags
8. Plastic take out/away containers
9. Other plastic bags
10. Plastic lids
Over a decade before, a 2009 study of roadway litter estimated 51.2 billion pieces of litter on U.S.
roadways nationwide, 91% of which are smaller than four inches in size (Schultz, 2009). This was
extrapolated to 6,729 pieces of litter per mile on each side of the roadway. Cigarette products made
up the largest percentage (37.7%).
Unfortunately, the datasets that are currently available do not reflect one universal method or unit of
measurement. Trash weight can be a misleading indicator, since the trash of most concern is small,
buoyant, and persistent (U.S. EPA, Trash-Free Waters). Comparing the weight of 100 cigarettes found
on a beach to one illegally dumped couch does not accurately convey the amount of litter found
during a cleanup. Oftentimes, cleanups occur at hotspots and thus cannot be extrapolated into
regional load estimates. As a result, most of the available data is not comparable across agencies or
organizations, and much of the data collected during community cleanups do not meet the rigor
needed for statistical analysis.
In addition, there is a need to systematically measure trash levels to establish baseline conditions
and evaluate the success of educational, institutional, operational, and structural efforts to control
trash. Cleanup results can be compared overtime to determine mitigation effectiveness and further
steps needed to reduce trash at a particular site. These data could be used to identify problem areas
where trash accumulates during dry weather due to littering or dumping and in wet weather due to
transport from upstream sources. The data could also be used to assess the effectiveness of
targeted management measures and provide evidence for groups to prompt change.
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EPA has developed ETAP in order to align stakeholders collecting litter data by providing one
standardized method designed to address existing data gaps. ETAP provides a consistent
methodology that can be used by non-scientists and scientists alike working in all accessible
environments from urban to rural, terrestrial to aquatic, and inland to coastal. The data can help
users identify dry and wet weather trash distribution, longitudinal variability within watersheds, and
variability across watersheds by comparing various site assessments within a region. ETAP can be
used for a multitude of purposes including citizen and community engagement in information
gathering, ambient monitoring, evaluation of materials management actions, determination of trash
accumulation rates, and comparing sites based on surroundings, land use, or public access. With
this information, a focused and effective approach to reducing trash pollution is possible.
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STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP) OF ETAP
ETAP includes the following three steps:
Step i: Site Selection and Boundary Determination
Step 2: Site Characterization and Cleanup
Step 3: Data Entry and Analysis
Step 1: Site Selection and Boundary Determination
iA. Site Selection
The first task in assessing a cleanup site is to select the area of interest This area should be a
continuous space that is not broken up by structures such as bridges or waterways, or large gaps
that are not going to be cleaned (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: A map showing three separate cleanup sites. These sites cannot be
combined because they are separated by a waterway and are not a
continuous space (Photo courtesy of Sydney Barnes-Grant).
Your group or organization may already know which site(s) you will be studying. If this is the case for
you, skip to Step IB.
If you have a large jurisdiction and are unsure what areas would be best to focus on cleaning, the
following approaches may be helpful to focus efforts.
• Consider what the intention is behind wanting to collect ETAP data in your community- are
you trying to do baseline monitoring for a certain area or trend monitoring to see if an
upstream control is having an impact? Are you hoping to cleanup a significantly degraded
site and encourage citizen stewardship of a special location? Select any number of sites that
meet your organization's data collection goals. For example, if you are trying to determine if a
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particular stormwater conveyance, convenience store, or roadway is contributing to the local
trash pollution problem to better target source reduction efforts, you may want to select a
variety of sites both upstream and downstream of that potential source.
• Conduct a rapid or drive-by visual assessment at each site using a tool similar to California's
On-Land Visual Trash Assessment (VTA) protocol. This rapid visual assessment can be used
as a foundation and will help you determine hotspot trash areas which need the most
attention (see Appendix 1: Visual Trash Assessment for guidelines and photos of different
levels of trash, as a reference).
lB. Determination of Boundary Coordinates
Once you have selected your cleanup site, define the boundaries of the overall site to be assessed by
the cleanup team on your Field Site Summary (Appendix 2). If you have multiple teams collecting
litter, you may choose to designate subsections of your overall site. If you divide your site into
subsections, please provide boundary coordinates for each subsection on the last page of the Field
Site Summary.
Depending on the size of your site, you may need stakes or cones to demarcate boundaries. You can
also make note of boundary points with landmarks such as a statue or oak tree. If possible, record
the latitude/longitude coordinates of the corners of the site using a GPS or cell phone (i.e. Google
Maps). Coordinates should be recorded to the 5th decimal place for accuracy, or Having a very
specific boundary will result in consistent and accurate data. It is essential that you estimate the
area within the site boundaries (use square feet as a unit of measurement). If unable to collect
corner coordinates, landmarks can help approximate the site corners by looking at satellite imagery
via Google Maps or other software, and the area of the site can be estimated. This will be useful if
the site needs to be revisited in the future and to determine the density of waste in the site.
Hint: Start with a small area! If you are conducting your clean up in alleys, for example, start with one block.
On a beach, use cones to mark off a small area. Start collecting the trash and then see how much trash
starts coming into your sorting station. It can get overwhelming if you start with too large an area.
Figure 3. Here we have a cleanup site (Gasworks Park in Seattle, WA) with drawn-in boundaries.
If we did not know the coordinates of the edges of this park, we could use landmarks to
approximate them (Photo courtesy of Sydney Barnes-Grant).
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Mark boundaries of site if coordinates not available (example indicators below).
• Landmark 1: NE corner of parking lot
• Landmark 2: NW corner of parking lot
• Landmark 3: Edge of tree-line on NW side of parking, lot facing the water
• Landmark 4: West side of park boundary
• Landmark 5: Southside of park, all along waterfront
• Landmark 6: Around edge of boathouses all the way to parking lot
wetted width
Note: If you are conducting your cleanup study in a stream or riverine environment; it may he beneficial to note
additional information on the Field Site Summary to better define your assessment area, Bankfull width, the distance
between the stream or riverbanks at the maximum water inundation level, and wetted width, the portion of the
stream or river channel covered in water, can help more carefully prescribe the boundaries of your cleanup site
(USFWS, 2019; USDA, Stream Channel Terminology).
bankfull width
Figure 4. Diagram showing the difference between measuring bankfull and wetted width.
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Step 2: Site Characterization and Cleanup
2A. Site Characteristics
Once your site has been selected and demarcated, record its characteristics on the Field Site
Summary Sheet (Appendix 2). Site characterization notes should be completed prior to any trash
collection or assessment.
Site characteristics include:
Proximity to water, storm drain, or critical habitat, either within site or nearby. Provide the
number of features observed within the site boundary and the number of features observed
up to 100 feet outside of the site boundary. Please take photos of site, including critical
proximity features.
Include any notes as appropriate.
o Nearby waterways
o Storm drains
o Critical Habitat
• Trash condition of the site, estimated using a simple visual assessment tool like the On-Land
Visual Trash Assessment (see Table 1 and Appendix 1). If your site has variable levels of
trash throughout the site, record the most predominant condition for your site. It is also
recommended to take a landscape picture of your site (at a distance that lets you identify
trash on-site in the image) for future reference and quality control.
Trash Condition
Category
Definition
A
Not Littered
Effectively no trash is observed in the assessment area.
Approximately less than one piece per two car lengths on average.
There may be some small pieces in the area, but they are not obvious at first
glance.
One individual could easily clean up all trash observed in a very short timeframe.
B
Slightly Littered
Predominantly free of trash except for a few littered areas.
On average, one piece per two car lengths.
The trash could be collected by one or two individuals in a short period of time.
C
Littered
Predominantly littered except for a few clean areas.
Trash is widely/evenly distributed and/or small accumulations are visible on the
street, sidewalks, or inlets.
At least two or three pieces per car length on average.
It would take a more organized effort to remove all trash from the area.
D
Very Littered
Trash is continuously seen throughout the assessment area.
Large piles and a strong impression of lack of concern for litter in the area.
There is often significant litter along gutters.
It would take a large number of people during an organized effort to remove all
trash from the area.
Table 1. Table to determine how much litter is in specific area (VTA, 2015).
• Indicate the number of preventative measures within the site or nearby. If applicable, note
whether the receptacles are overflowing or without a lid.
o Are there any trash, recycling, cigarette, or fishing line receptacles, dumpsters, or
other receptacles nearby? How many? Are they overflowing? Do they have a
lid? Indicate the number of receptacles within or near the site AND the number of
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receptacles within or near the site that are overflowing or without a lid (e.g. a trash
receptacle within the site that is overflowing should be recorded as both
within the site AND overflowing).
Prevention signage
Trash booms or other capture devices - a trash boom is a floating device that
captures and contains objects in a collection area.
Land use(s) within the boundaries of your site (Circle all that apply):
o High density residential (5+ dwellings per acre)
o Low density residential (2-4 dwellings per acre)
o Rural residential (1-5 acre lots)
o Retail and wholesale (i.e. stores, restaurants, post offices & hotels)
o Commercial & services (i.e. local government, education, research centers, offices,
churches, hospitals, & military)
o Light and other industrial (i.e. light & unspecified industrial, warehousing, food
processing)
o Heavy Industrial (i.e. heavy fabrication & assembly raw materials processing)
o Recreational (i.e. parks, golf courses, bike trails, etc.)
o K-12 schools
o Shoreline
o Cemetery
o State/ national park or wilderness
• General observations (Including but not limited to):
o Recent big public event in the area
o Nearby buildings, roads, parking lots, and/or ditches
o Excessive trash near buildings
o Transit hub or bus stop
o Other features that could contribute to trash condition
Please provide as many characteristics as possible to create an accurate representation of the
cleanup spot. These notes could help target the specific polluters in a region and give insight into
which waste management and prevention strategies to implement.
2B. Site Cleanup Methods
There are two effective methods to clean up and categorize trash at your site(s): (1) Collect and
catalog trash in the field, and (2) collect trash and then catalog at a later time. Both approaches are
built upon a divide-and-conquer approach and the ability to focus on accurate categorization. The
first method is more useful when there is a large group, while the second may be more appropriate
for smaller groups.
It is critical that all trash be collected in your site area, even the fragments of litter. This is because
we want to be able to compare the density of trash in each site to other sites or over time. If you
have a large area and many volunteers, you may want to consider designating just a specified area
as the assessment area, using your most dedicated volunteers, while the rest of the area is cleaned
up but not assessed. When creating the boundaries of the site, be sure to only include the area that
was assessed.
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Suggested items to bring to cleanup site:
It is recommended that site leaders provide a combination of the
items listed below to aid in trash sorting and clean up. Some items
may not be necessary depending on level of effort, the weather and
site conditions.
• Grabbers
• Gardening gloves (with varied size options)
• Clipboards
• Pencils
• Field data cards
• Large trash bags
• 5-gallon buckets
• Tarp
• Fold-up table
• Canopy (with sides for windy conditions)
• Luggage scale
• First aid kit
Method 1- Cataloging trash in the field at the same time as collecting
trash
This method is best for a larger group, where 12 or more volunteers
can be grouped into at least three volunteer pairs on both teams. With
the addition of an "afternoon relief" team, this would call for 18
volunteers in total. Larger groups can handle larger site areas, or you
can divide your area into segments. If the area is smaller or there is a
limited number of volunteers, it may be easier to execute Method 2
(see below). Method 1 is also preferential in pleasant weather
conditions because the sorting will occur outside.
Dedicate a central location at your site to be "home base," where
trash will be piled and sorted. Next, divide your group into two teams.
Safety Considerations
Safety precautions are critical to
any cleanup. Organizations
facilitating a cleanup should follow
a safety plan for volunteers and
train its team leaders in safety
protocols. Some common-sense
safety rules include the following:
1.
Have a well-equipped first aid
kit handy
2.
Wear protective gloves and
sturdy footwear
3.
Stay hyd rated
4.
Listen to weather reports and
cancel or leave if a storm
threatens your safety
5.
Park in a safe location and
secure your valuables
6.
Never enter private property
without permission
7.
Never wade into swift water or
walk on unstable stream
banks
8.
Know how to identify
poisonous vegetation and
venomous reptiles/insects
9.
Don't pick up dangerous
items (e.g. broken glass) -
notify the team leader
10.
Leave the site if you feel
concerned about your
personal safety
Team One
The first team will fan out and pick up all the trash within your site's established boundaries. If an
exceptionally heavy or submerged item cannot be picked up, make a note of it and its location
relative to the area. Items that are dangerous or too heavy to move should be left in place - safety
first! Volunteers may catalog data about any items to be left in place, if you wish these to be included
in the final site analysis.
Note that some material, like a concrete structure that is attached to the ground, is not considered
trash in this methodology and can be left. However, loose concrete or rubble should be removed and
categorized if possible.
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Hint: Buckets and grabbers work well. You can dump the buckets on the sorting table. If you have enough
buckets, volunteers can leave their full bucket and go out with a fresh bucket to collect more trash.
Once your bag or bucket is full or your subsection is clean, bring the trash back to the meeting point.
Again, the goal is to collect ALL of the trash in the site or segment, even fragments.
Figure 5. Volunteers at a sorting station
comb through a pile of smaller items
and categorize them according to
material type (Photo courtesy of Zero
Waste Washington).
Figure 6. Osprey Initiative, Inc. staff perform ETAP after cleaning
out a Litter Gitter in Three Mile Creek, Mobile, AL (Photo courtesy
of Osprey Initiative, inc.).
Team Two
The second team will set up the base station where they will categorize and count the trash that is
picked up. It is recommended to have a tarp, table, and/or pop-up canopy for optimal categorizing
conditions.
In teams of two, volunteers will open each bag (or bucket) of trash as it arrives from the cleanup
teams and begin to sort, catalog and count the items (see Section 2C below for information on how
to categorize items). Counts should be recorded in the Field Data Card (Appendix 3).
If you have divided your overall site into segments, be sure the counting teams (Team 2) are carefully
accepting trash only from their designated trash pickup teams (Team 1).
Hint: Even a breeze can blow your items around as your volunteers are counting the trash. It is suggested
to use small pails or containers to collect each category of trash and/or put up a screen to prevent the
wind from disrupting counting and cataloging.
With this method, the clean-up team will likely complete its work before all items can be cataloged
and sorted by the volunteers at home base. To avoid overly fatiguing volunteers and maintain high
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data quality, clean up volunteers (Team 1) should take a break after all trash has been cleaned up
from the site. Catalog volunteers (Team 2) should take breaks as needed. If there are enough
volunteers for a third team, this team may arrive later in the day and take over the cataloging work,
leaving the earlier two teams free to depart or rest.
Figure 7. A volunteer picks up plastic from a local riverbank
using a trash grabber tool.
Method 2 - Cataloging trash at a later time
This method uses a single team to both collect trash and then later catalog the trash for the site or
each segment. It is an optimal method to consider when weather conditions are unpleasant because
it allows your team to focus on removing the trash from an area and sort it later in conditions that
are more suitable, like inside a building or warehouse. Smaller teams with more variable volunteer
schedules may prefer this method.
The second method starts with designating a meeting point where the full contents of the site
cleanup (all full trash bags or buckets) can be stored after trash is collected. It is recommended that
this be an easily accessible point near your cleanup site. If access to an indoor trash storage and
sorting area is not feasible, you may use a tarp, folding table, and/or canopy to create a temporary
storage space at or near your site.
Once a "home base" has been determined, your entire group will fan out and collect all the trash in
the area. When the site has been cleaned, volunteers should store all collected trash in the pre-
determined location and take a break.
Collected trash can be stored overnight if the selected meetup point is a secure location that will not
allow trash to escape into the environment.
In pairs, you will open each bag and sort, catalog and count items (see Section 2C below for more
detail on cataloging).
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2C. Cataloging Method
Both methods will use this categorizing reference when sorting trash.
• Pair up in teams of two to do the cataloging and counting.
• Please see Appendix 3 for the Field Data Card, Appendix 4 for the Field Reference Sheet,
Appendix 5 for Examples of Using the Field Data Card. Appendix 6 for a Volume-to-Weight
Conversion Table and Appendix 7 for ETAP Table Cards.
In the Field Data Card, items are first identified by their Material Group (paper, glass, metal, or
plastic or as a specialized category), then by the Item Type. Choose the item type that best describes
your trash item. For example, for aluminum soda cans you would go to the material group
"Metal" and the item type "Bottles, Cans & Containers." See Appendix 4: Field Reference Sheet for
item descriptions.
Add a tally for each item under the appropriate Item Condition column describing the item's level of
degradation (see Appendix 4: Field Reference Sheet for photo examples of item condition). This info
could prove useful for determining if collected material is legacy litter or if it has recently escaped
into the environment.
If there are any identifying features of the trash items, record these in the Item Notes column (e.g.
brand/product name, language on packaging, unusual features).
For fragments/pieces of glass, plastic and foam that are less than 2.5cm in their longest
dimension, use a measuring cup and record one tally for each cup of fragments found.
The data card has blank rows at the bottom for to track a specific item that would otherwise be
lumped into a broader category or an item of interest that is not otherwise included (e.g. mixoplastic
pieces (<5mm in size), nurdles, etc.).
Hint: Reference Appendix 5: Examples of Using the Field Data Card for more insight on how to properly count
and catalog trash. Appendix 7: ETAP Table Cards can be used during the sorting process to help distinguish
between piles according to the categories on your Field Data Card.
Figure 8, Plastic beverage bottles Figure 9. A plethora of disposable Figure 10. Improperly disposed of
sorted and cataloged (Photo courtesy plastic straws and stirrers are cigarette butts collected and
of Emma Maschal). compiled in a bucket and measured. cataloged during a cleanup.
-------
Note: When you take photos, please use
this system to identify your photos by
site name or event and date:
EventName_Date_Photo#. For example:
JuniperCreek_Sept 10 2018JD1.
Figure 11. Plastic and Styrofoam items collected from an in-stream
cleanup (Photo courtesy of Mobile Baykeeper).
2D. Double Counting for Quality Assurance
Quality assurance for each project will vary based on the data quality objectives of the
project. Minimum quality assurance recommendations for this protocol are to re-sort (by item
condition) and recount at least four item types (piles) of trash at each site, if multiple teams are
cataloging trash, then the four piles selected for QA should be sorted and counted the second time
by a different team. Record the double-counted category tallies on a separate Field Data Card.
2E. Photographing and Measuring
Trash
Once all items have been cataloged and
sorted into piles according to the categories
on your Field Data Card, take a photograph
of each sorted pile to visually document the
amount of trash picked up. You can record
the photo ID for each pile in the notes
section of the Field Data Card or on the
back. Taking photos will assist in data
quality assurance and control.
Measure the volume and/or weight of materials collected. Consider whether you want to measure
the volume or weight of your collected items - we recommend noting both if possible.
Note: While measuring weight is often seen as a more user-friendly approach, it can produce
misrepresentative results. Waterlogged objects recovered from riverine and coastal environments
can often skew measurements when combined with or compared to dry items. Lightweight
composite materials such as Styrofoam and fragmented pieces of plastic can also give an
inaccurate representation of the amount of material collected.
• Volume can be measured by estimating the amount of space the trash takes up in a 5-gallon
bucket or a 55-gallon trash bag. The easiest way to do this is to account for the percent
fullness of the container/bag (without compacting whatever is inside). The volume of smaller
items such as bottle caps or balloon fragments can be measured using smaller containers.
Large, bulky objects like building materials, furniture, and appliances can be measured in
cubic feet.
Weight can be measured by using a portable luggage scale.
Hint: Reference Appendix 6: Volume-to-Weight Conversion Table for more insight how to measure collected
trash.
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First, separate all sorted piles. You can choose the approach for measuring that works best with your
volunteers:
a) Measure individual piles based on how you cataloged them and record each volume and/or
weight on the Field Data Card.
b) Gather the piles into categories based on dominant material (plastic, metal, etc.), measure
those piles and record each volume and/or weight on the Field Data Card.
c) Record the total weight and/or volume of material collected that will be disposed of as
garbage, recycled, and composted at the bottom of your Field Data Card.
• Garbage - Waste to be sent to the landfill. Trash that is too fouled/degraded to be
sent to recycling markets.
• Recycle - This includes salvageable cardboard, paper, metal, glass, and some
plastics (based on your local recycling guidelines).
• Compost - Items that will be composted such as paper or other natural products and
compostable plastics.
Hint: Be sure to note units (cubic feet, cubic yards, pounds,
ounces, grams, etc.) with each measurement. Luggage
scales work well but are not sensitive to very lightweight
items/piles and so some of your weights will be recorded as
"zero." This is expected.
2F. Disposing of Materials Properly
Recycle, compost and dispose of the trash according to local
regulations.
Figure 12. A volunteer weighs a bag of trash
collected from the Anacostia River in Washington,
D.C. (Photo courtesy of Emma Maschal).
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Step 3: Data Entry and Analysis
3A. Spreadsheet Summary
Once the cleanup activity is completed, your data may be entered into the ETAP excel sheet. The
spreadsheet is organized into three sheet tabs:
1. Instructions: Includes this section of the reference manual along with other details that may
be helpful in using the spreadsheet.
2. Data Card: Where all the item information should be entered.
3. Summary Plots: Summary tables and charts of data collected.
4. Field Site Summary: A printable version of the Field Site Summary form (Appendix 2).
5. Field Data Card: A printable version of the ETAP field data card (Appendix 3).
6. Field Reference Sheet: A printable version of the field reference sheet (Appendix 4).
If you are interested in submitting data to your state agency for 303(d) listing purposes, be sure to
check with that agency first to be sure they will accept the data, and for any additional information
they might require.
3B. Data Entry
Use the 'Data Card' sheet tab in the spreadsheet to enter information. In order to use the summary
plots properly you will need to ensure that all green cells in the 'Data Card' sheet are filled in.
Information required includes:
• Total number of tallies for each item under the appropriate Item Condition column.
• The size of the area where trash was collected in square feet.
• The total weight (lbs) and/or volume (ft3) of items disposed of as garbage.
• The total weight (lbs) and/or volume (ft3) of items recycled.
• The total weight (lbs) and/or volume (ft3) of items composted.
• For items that were 'write in,' add the item type, material type, industry, and
packaging/product descriptor. Descriptors can be found below and in the spreadsheet
below the data card in their respective tables.
Material Type
Industry
Packaging/ Product
Plastic
Food & Beverage
Packaging
Foam
Retail, Food &
Beverage
Service ware
Paper
Retail
Product
Glass
Automotive
Unknown
Metal
Smoking
Tires
Home & Office
Large
Fishing
Chemicals
Illegal dumping
Medical
Recreation
Other/Mixed
Other/ Unknown
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 24
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Weight, Volume, and Item Notes may be entered in the blue columns; however, this information will
not be used to summarize data automatically. The project/site leader should set expectations with
their group for recording information in the blue columns.
After you have entered all information collected into the green cells, formulas will be calculated in
the yellow cells. The Totals column provides the total number of items collected for each item type by
adding the Intact/ Un-fouled column and the Degraded/ Heavily Fouled column. The Totals row
provides: the total number of items collected that were intact, the total number of items collected
that were degraded, and the overall total number of items collected at the site. The item density at
the site is calculated below the data card table using the total number of items collected at the site
divided by the site size in square feet.
3C. Analysis
In addition to the totals that were generated within the 'Data Card' sheet, entering all of the
information in the green cells of the 'Data Card' sheet will generate some basic calculations and
data charts in the 'Summary Plots' sheet that may be helpful in visualizing your data.
Disposal Method
Total Weight
(lbs)
Total Volume (ft3)
Total Weight (lbs)
Total Volume (ft3)
Garbage
110
18
1%
Recycled
10
4
Compost
1
1
Total
121
23
MS
m HA
91%
78%
¦ Garbage ¦ Recycled ¦ Compost
¦ Garbage ¦ Recycled ¦ Compost
Figure 13. Table showing the weight and volume of items collected based on the final disposal method used by the team.
Pie charts are generated that show the portion of the total weight and volume of items collected that were disposed of as
garbage, recycled, and composted.
Material Type
Item Count
Plastic
172
Foam
32
Paper
21
Glass
6
Metal
31
Tires
1
Large
0
Chemicals
1
Medical
3
Other/Mixed
44
Total Items Found
311
Materials Breakdown
Other/Mixed
Metal
Plastic
Foam
Medical
Chemicals
Figure 14. Table that calculates the number of items collected by material type. The Pareto chart plots the number of items
collected for each material type in descending order with a cumulative line as a percentage of the total.
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 25
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Industry
Industry Sum
Food & Beverage
201
Retail, Food &
Beverage
29
Retail
0
Automotive
1
Smoking
9
Home & Office
7
Fishing
25
Illegal dumping
0
Recreation
7
Other/ Unknown
32
Total Items Found
311
Source
150
100
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Other/... Fishing Home & Office Automotive Illegal dumping
Retail, Food... Smoking Recreation Retail
Figure 15. Table that calculates the number of items collected by the industry source. The Pareto chart plots the number of
items collected from each industry in descending order with a cumulative line as a percentage of the total.
Packaging or
Products
Packaging or
Product Sum
Packaging
110
Serviceware
120
Product
41
Unknown
40
Total Items Found
311
Packaging
or Product
13%
35%
13%
39%
¦ Packaging ¦ Serviceware ¦ Product ¦ Unknown
Figure 16. Table calculates the number of items collected that are packaging, service ware, products, or unknown. The pie
chart shows the portion of the total weight and volume of items collected that were packaging, service ware, products, or
unknown.
Item condition
Intact/ Un-fouled
269
Degraded/ Heavily
Fouled
42
Total Items:
311
Condition of Escaped Trash
14%
¦ Intact/ Un-fouled ¦ Degraded/ Heavily Fouled
Figure 17. Figure 3C.5. Table calculates the number of items collected that were intad/unfouled and degraded/ heaviiy
fouled. Pie charts are generated that show the portion of the total number of items collected that were intact and
degraded.
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The total number of items found should be consistent across all tables if the green cells were
correctly filled out in the 'Data Card' sheet.
There are a number of uses for ETAP, depending on a group's particular focus and interests. For
example, you may wish to conduct site assessments before and after implementing a trash-
prevention policy or voluntary action, to test its impacts; other groups may be interested in
conducting site assessments to identify key sources of localized trash pollution. Perhaps your group
is conducting site assessments in order to collect data on the potential threats posed by trash
pollution to local waterways or storm drain systems, or to assess the impact of land use changes on
the level of trash pollution in each area. No matter what your goals are, once ETAP has been
completed your group can choose to use your data how you see fit.
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USING ETAP TO INFORM UPSTREAM DECISIONS
The ETAP tool can be used to inform a variety of upstream management solutions to local trash
pollution. A baseline for the types and quantities of materials found in the environment can also be
used to focus preventative measures in a community. Over time, ETAP can be used to assess the
effectiveness of various Best Management Practices (e.g. installation of catch basin inserts, more
frequent street sweeping, etc.). This tool can help document if recent educational, institutional,
operational, or structural efforts successfully reduced trash loadings.
Litter profiles at cleanup sites provide insight on trends and patterns in the volume of litter collected
and common item types and brands found. This information can lead to the development of a more
targeted and effective public education campaign encouraging source reduction. It can also be
useful for communities who want to work collaboratively with local businesses to prevent specific
materials from escaping into the environment.
Case Study
The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) piloted and helped EPA refine ETAP. MBNEP began using
ETAP to characterize collected trash as part of a Three Mile Creek Trash Abatement Program in 2018. One of the
Program's goals was to improve the quality of local waterways by addressing trash problems at sources identified
using ETAP data. Data indicated Styrofoam and single-use plastics accounted for over 80% of litter trapped by
"Litter Gitters," in-stream trash-capture devices, in the watershed. In an effort to reduce sources, MBNEP
developed a "Ditch the Disposables" campaign. Partnering with a popular restaurant in a low-income, primarily
minority community in Prichard, AL, a week-long campaign was used to gauge customer preferences and
tolerances related to biodegradable packaging. After providing a week's supply of paper food packaging products
for use duringthe campaign, MBNEP surveyed 279 restaurant customers to determine their willingness to absorb
small cost increases for more eco-friendly packaging. They found 83% of patrons were willing to incur price
increases ranging from five to 35 cents to switch from typical Styrofoam to more sustainable packaging. The
restaurant owner expressed interest in switching to alternative food packaging if an affordable option exists.
MBNEP hopes to continue the campaign at another local restaurant to expand the survey sample size and inform
future source reduction steps.
Finally, data collected using the ETAP tool can also be used to identify hotspots. This can help inform
municipal leaders where action needs to be taken or policies need to be put in place (e.g. illegal
dumping enforcement). Hotspot mapping can also provide insight for municipal solid waste programs
regarding where to invest in infrastructure, such as recycling and trash receptacles, recycling
centers, reuse centers, or transfer stations, to prevent trash from escaping into the environment. In
addition, the protocol can inform trash capture device siting, trash provisions in stormwater permits,
and potential waterbody impairment listings under Clean Water Act Section 303(d).
Case Study
Dog River Clearwater Revival (DRCR), a watershed-based nonprofit organization, received EPA funding to create a
Comprehensive Trash Abatement Program in Mobile, Alabama. DRCR is using ETAP to determine litter
composition and sources in combination with a hydrologic model and a geospatial analysis of the watershed
developed by the Mobile Bay NEP to identify correlations among high-velocity areas during peak flows, various
upstream land uses, and significant litter accumulation. The analysis is designed to: identify areas with the
highest potential for trash to enter waterways; point to the potential locations of sources for effective targeted
investments in enhanced litter abatement activities. Usingthe results from ETAP, DRCR is partnering with
Partners for Environmental Progress to encourage businesses to join the Create a Clean Water Future Campaign
and create "Green Teams" to increase awareness, reduce use, establish recycling programs and implement a
"Truck Bed Trash Program" to reduce trash from being blown out of the back of trucks.
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 28
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United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). (2020). Chapter 24. Retrieved at
https://usmca.com/environment-usmca-chapter-
24/#:~:text=Article%2024.12%3A%20Marine%20Litter,marine%20litter's%20costs%20and
%20impacts.
Wright, S., Thompson, C., Galloway, T. (2013). The physical impacts of microplastics on marine
organisms: A review. Environmental Pollution, 178, 483-492. ISSN 0269-7491.
https://doi.Org/10.1016/j.envpol.2013.02.031.
Ye, S., and A.L. Andrady. (1991). Fouling of floating plastic debris under Biscayne Bay exposure
conditions. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 22(12), 608-613.
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APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Visual Trash Assessment
The Qn-Land Visual Trash Assessment was developed by EOA, Inc for the San Francisco Bay Area
Stormwater Management Agencies Association to provide qualitative estimates of the amount of
trash generated on specific street segments, sidewalks and adjacent land areas. Below are
examples of levels of trash.
Condition A - Low Trash Level (i.e., Not Littered)
Effectively no trash can be observed on a city block or the equivalent. There may be some small
pieces in the area, but they are not obvious at first glance and one individual could quickly pick them
up (VTA, 2015).
Figure 18. Photos and descriptions provided by California Visual Trash Assessment
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Condition B - Moderate Trash Level (i.e., Slightly Littered)
Predominantly free of trash except for a few pieces that are easily observed along a city block, or the
equivalent. The trash could be collected by one or two individuals in a short period of time (VTA,
2015).
Figure 19. Photos ana descriptions provided by California Visual Trash Assessment.
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Condition C - High Trash Level (i.e., Littered)
Trash is widely/evenly distributed and/or small accumulations are visible on the street, sidewalks, or
inlets. It would take a more organized effort to remove the litter (VTA, 2015).
Figure 20. Photos and descriptions provided by California Visual Trash Assessment.
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Condition D - Very High Trash Level (i.e., Very Littered)
Trash is continuously seen throughout the area, with large piles and a strong impression of lack of
concern for litter in the area. There is often significant litter even along gutters that are swept (VTA,
2015).
Figure 21. Photos and descriptions provided by California Visual Trash Assessment.
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Appendix 2: Field Site Summary Sheet
Date:
Recent weather:
Approximate number of days since the last rainfall event:
Organization name:
Team leader:
Number of people participating in the clean-up event:
Duration of time (in hours) spent cleaning the site:
Site name:
Site description (road, beach, creek, city, etc.):
Overall site Boundaries (Identify coordinates of the boundary points of the site. Coordinates should be
recorded to the 5th decimal place for accuracy. For in-stream assessments, measuring bankfull width and/or
wetted width at transects along the stream reach and the total reach length assessed may be preferred.
Attach map if possible):
Boundary
Latitude
Longitude
Notes (landmarks, roads, etc.)
Total area of site (ft2):
Proximity to water, storm drain, or critical habitat, include photos.
Features
Number of
features within site
boundary
Number of features
less than 100 ft from
site boundary
Waterways
Storm drains
Critical Habitat
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Weight and volume of collected material (if data can be collected):
Weight (lbs)
Volume (ft3)
Garbage
Recyclables
Compost
Trash condition Of the site (circle the most predominant condition for your overall site):
A
Not Littered
Effectively no trash is observed in the assessment area.
Approximately less than one piece per two car lengths on average.
There may be some small pieces in the area, but they are not obvious at first glance.
One individual could easily clean up all trash observed in a very short timeframe.
B
Slightly Littered
Predominantly free of trash except for a few littered areas.
On average, one piece per two car lengths.
Trash could be collected by one or two individuals in a short period of time.
C
Littered
Predominantly littered except for a few clean areas.
Trash is widely/evenly distributed and/or small accumulations are visible on the street,
sidewalks, or inlets.
At least two or three pieces per car length on average.
It would take a more organized effort to remove all trash from the area.
D
Very Littered
Trash is continuously seen throughout the assessment area.
Large piles and a strong impression of lack of concern for litter in the area.
There is often significant litter along gutters.
It would take a large number of people during an organized effort to remove all trash from
the area.
Preventative measures (indicate number within or near the site of: 1. receptacles as described below, 2:
overflowing receptacles, and/or 3: receptacles without a lid (e.g. a trash receptacle within the site that is
overflowing should be counted both in the within site column and the overflowing column)):
Receptacles
Within site
Near Site
Overflowing
Without lid
Trash receptacle
Recycling receptacle
Cigarette receptacle
Fishing line receptacle
Dumpster
Other
Trash capture device
Litter prevention
signage
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Land use(s) within the boundaries of your site (check all that apply):
Land Use Type
High density residential (5+ dwellings per acre)
Low density residential (2-4 dwellings per acre)
Rural residential (1-5 acre lots)
Retail & wholesale (i.e. stores, restaurants, post offices & hotels)
Commercial & services (i.e. local govt, education, research centers, offices,
churches, hospitals, & military)
Light and other industrial (i.e. light & unspecified industrial, warehousing, food
processing)
Heavy Industrial (i.e. heavy fabrication & assembly raw materials processing)
Recreational (parks, golf courses, bike trails)
K-12 schools
Shoreline
Cemetery
State/ national park or wilderness
General observations (including but not limited to recent large public event in the area, excessive trash near
buildings, nearby roads and highways, transit hubs or bus stops, and other features that could contribute to
trash condition):
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Subsections
Please identify boundaries for sections of your overall site that are assessed by each team.
The subsection ID numbers should match the data sheet ID numbers. Please note both weight and
volume measurements if possible. Include notes, as appropriate.
Subsection 1 boundaries:
Subsection 1 square footage: (lbs and/or ft3) Garbage: Recyclables: Compost:
Subsection 2 boundaries:
Subsection 2 square footage: (lbs and/or ft3) Garbage: Recyclables: Compost:
Subsection 3 boundaries:
Subsection 3 square footage: (lbs and/or ft3) Garbage: Recyclables: Compost:
Subsection 4 boundaries:
Subsection 4 square footage: (lbs and/or ft3) Garbage: Recyclables: Compost:
Subsection 5 boundaries:
Subsection 5 square footage: (lbs and/or ft3) Garbage: Recyclables: Compost:
Subsection 6 boundaries:
Subsection 6 square footage: (lbs and/or ft3) Garbage: Recyclables: Compost:
Subsection 7 boundaries:
Subsection 7 square footage: (lbs and/or ft3) Garbage: Recyclables: Compost:
Subsection 8 boundaries:
Subsection 8 square footage: (lbs and/or ft3) Garbage: Recyclables: Compost:
Subsection 9 boundaries:
Subsection 9 square footage: (lbs and/or ft3) Garbage: Recyclables: Compost:
Subsection 10 boundaries:
Subsection 10 square footage: (lbs and/or ft3) Garbage: Recyclables: Compost:
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Appendix 3: Field Data Card
Item condition
Weight
(lbs)
Volume
(ft3)
Item Notes
Item Type
Intact/ Un-
fouled
Degraded/
Heavily Fouled
Identifying features: Product, Language, Event, etc.
Bottles & Containers
Straws & Stirrers
Bottle Caps & Tabs
Beverage Rings
Food Wrappers &
Snack Bags
Food & Drink Pouches
0
¦4—1
(/)
Cups
CD
Q_
Lids
Utensils
Plates & Bowls
Clamshells
Grocery & Retail Bags
Small Fragments
(1 tally = 1 cup)
Other Plastic
Cups
F
Plates & Bowls
CD
O
Clamshells
Other Foam (1 tally = 1
cup small pieces)
Cardboard
Paper
Bags
Newspaper, Junk Mail,
Receipts & Office Paper
Cups
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Beverage & Food
Cartons
Other Paper
Glass
Bottles, Jars &
Containers
Small Fragments &
Other Glass (1 tally = 1
cup)
Metal
Bottles, Cans &
Containers
Bottle Caps & Tabs
Other Metal
Fishing
Hooks, Lures, & Floats
Traps & Trap Parts
Nets & Ropes (1 tally =
1 foot)
Fishing Line (1 tally = 1
foot)
Tangled Fishing Line
Bundles (1 tally = 1
square foot)
Other
Auto
Tires
Other
Smoking
Cigarettes & Cannabis
E-Cigarettes & Vaping
Lighters
Other
Chemical, Paint & Other
Hazardous
Batteries & Electronics
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Building Materials
Furniture & Carpet
Appliances
Medical Waste, Sharps,
& Biohazardous
Textiles, Clothing &
Shoes
Toiletries/ Personal
Hygiene
Balloons
Toys, Sports, & Rec
Equipment
Whole Bags of Mixed
Trash
Total
Disposal Method
Total Weight
(lbs):
Total Volume (ft3):
Site Size (ft2)
Garbage
Recycled
Compost
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Appendix 4: Field Reference Sheet
Group
Item Type
Descriptions
Plastic
Bottles & Containers
Plastic bottles and jugs of any size or resin. Examples include plastic bottles and
jugs for soda, water, sports drinks, juice, tea, milk, wine coolers, and liquor
bottles. Includes bottles labelled "compostable" or "bio-based."
Plastic
Straws & Stirrers
Plastic drinking straws and stirrers. Includes "compostable" or "bio-based."
Plastic
Bottle Caps & Tabs
Loose plastic bottle caps, plastic pull tabs, lids, and seals made of plastic, used in
the packaging/sealing of beverage containers. Does not include bottle caps that
are still on a beverage bottle.
Plastic
Beverage rings
Beverage packaging rings to hold soft drinks or beer cans. Examples: 4-pack, 6-
pack, 8-pack, & 12-pack beverage rings commonly used for canned or bottled
beverages.
Plastic
Food Wrappers &
Snack Bags
Wrappings or bags used to package food, such as wrappers for candy and gum,
snack bags, chip bags, zipper-closeable bags, condiment packets, and produce
bags. Includes wrappers labelled "compostable" or "bio-based." Does not include
pouches (see PLASTIC: Food & Drink Pouches).
Plastic
Food & Drink Pouches
Plastic pouches made of thicker, multi-layer flexible material. May have a flat
bottom so that package would stand up on its own, but not always. Material is
thicker than potato chip bags. Examples include plastic coffee packages; juice
pouches; baby food pouches with or without plastic screw top; soup pouches;
salad dressing pouches; wine pouches; and backpacking meals in pouches.
Plastic
Cups
Includes plastic cups of all sizes other than foam.
Plastic
Lids
Plastic lids from plastic tubs and containers, such as cottage cheese, yogurt,
butter, etc.
Plastic
Utensils
Plastic forks, knives, and spoons.
Plastic
Plates & Bowls
Plastic plates and bowls of all sizes other than foam.
Plastic
Clamshells
Hinged plastic (not foam) take-out containers of any size that open like the shell
of a clam.
Plastic
Grocery & Retail Bags
Plastic shopping bags used to contain merchandise, given out by the store or
restaurant with the purchase (including dry cleaning bags). This type does not
include full bags of trash (see "OTHER: Whole Bags of Mixed Trash"). Includes
bags labelled "compostable" or "bio-based."
Plastic
Small Fragments
(1 tally = 1 cup)
Film or hard plastic pieces of unknown origin less than 2.5 cm in their longest
dimension. If less than 1 cup of fragments are found record one tally *lf you want
to collect and count microplastic pieces (<5mm in size) using this protocol, we
suggest that you use a write-in space.
Plastic
Other Plastic
Plastic that cannot be put in any other category. Includes film/flexible plastic
other than grocery and retail bags (see PLASTIC: Grocery & Retail Bags) and
balloons (see "OTHER: Balloons"). Includes durable plastic products other than
toys and games (see "OTHER: Recreation"), and furniture (see "OTHER: Furniture
& Carpet"). Examples include salad dressing bottles, condiment bottles, butter,
yogurt, and cottage cheese tubs, buckets, laundry baskets, totes, garbage cans,
flower pots, and plastic pipes; and film products such as agricultural film (films
used in various farming and growing applications, such as silage greenhouse
films, mulch films, and wrap for hay bales), plastic sheeting used as drop cloths,
plastic mailing pouches, shrink-wrap, and bubble wrap. Includes items labelled
"compostable" or "bio-based." Does not include any personal care products or
bottles (see "OTHER: Toiletries/personal hygiene").
Foam
Cups
Foam (also known as expanded polystyrene or styrofoam) cups of all sizes.
Foam
Plates & Bowls
Foam Plates and Bowls of all sizes.
Foam
Clamshells
Hinged foam take-out containers of any size that open like the shell of a clam.
Foam
Other Foam (1 tally =
1 cup small pieces)
All other foam items, including foam ice chests, foam packing peanuts and other
product packing foam, and foam used for home food packaging such as foam
meat trays and egg cartons.
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Paper
Cardboard
Cardboard has a center wavy layer sandwiched between two outer layers.
Examples include entire cardboard containers, such as shipping and moving
boxes, computer packaging cartons, and sheets and pieces of boxes and cartons.
This category does not include chipboard boxes such as cereal boxes or tissue
boxes (see "PAPER: Other Paper").
Paper
Bags
Paper Bags made from kraft paper. Paper may be brown (unbleached) or white
(bleached). Examples include paper grocery bags, fast food bags, and department
store bags.
Paper
Newspaper, Junk
Mail, Receipts &
Office Paper
Paper used for newspapers, receipts, white ledger and other office paper,
magazines and catalogs, glossy inserts, stapled college class schedules, manila
envelopes, junk mail, carbonless forms, catalogs, and brochures. Does not include
hardback or paperback books or telephone directories (see "PAPER: Other
Paper").
Paper
Cups
Paper cups, often lined with either plastic or wax, such as to-go coffee cups.
Paper
Beverage & Food
Cartons
Gable-top containers such as milk cartons and orange juice cartons, and aseptic
containers used for products like soy milk, coconut water, or soup. These are
often paper containers lined with plastic.
Paper
Other Paper
Items made mostly of paper that do not fit into any of the above types. Examples
include tissue boxes, paperboard boxes for software, self-adhesive notes, hard
cover and paperback books, telephone directories, sepia, carbon paper,
photographs, sheets of paper, stick-on labels, and paper mailing envelopes lined
with bubble wrap or plastic, plates, bowls, paper straws, paper and waxed paper
wrappings, wooden stirrers, cup and beverage holders, napkins or paper towels,
and pizza boxes, cereal boxes, cardboard egg cartons, ice cream cartons and
other frozen food boxes, and boxes used to hold 6 or more individual beverages.
Glass
Bottles, Jars &
Containers
Glass bottles, jars, or containers of any size or color designed to contain
beverages such as beer, wine, wine coolers, liquor, soda, water, tea, juice, sports
& health drinks or contains food such as, pickles, olives, mayonnaise, jam, and
sauces.
Glass
Small Fragments &
Other Glass (1 tally =
1 cup)
Glass products that do not fit into another category, or that are not
distinguishable by type of product. Fragments less than 2.5 cm in their longest
dimension.
Metal
Bottles, Cans &
Containers
Metal bottles, cans or containers of any size designed to contain beverages such
as beer, juice or soda; also includes canned food and pet food.
Metal
Bottle Caps & Tabs
Pull tabs, bottle caps, lids, and seals made of metal and used in the
packaging/sealing of metal beverage containers.
Metal
Other Metal
Products made entirely from metal or predominantly metal products that do not
fit into any other category. Includes items such as metal clothes hangers, metal
pipes, aluminum tin foil, and small appliances comprised mainly of metal such as
toasters and hair dryers. Does not include electronics such as microwaves (see
"OTHER: Batteries & Electronics"), or major appliances such as refrigerators (see
"OTHER: Appliances").
Fishing
Hooks, Lures, & Floats
Includes fishing hooks, lures, bouys, & floats.
Fishing
Traps & Trap Parts
Traps used to catch crabs, lobster, fish, or other organisms.
Fishing
Nets & Ropes (1 tally
= 1 foot)
Nets and ropes. 1 tally = 1 continuous foot. Example: 5 continuous feet of rope
equals 5 tallies.
Fishing
Fishing Line (1 tally =
1 foot)
1 tally = 1 continuous foot of fishing line
Fishing
Tangled Fishing Line
Bundles (1 tally = 1
square foot)
Tangled bundle of fishing line larger than 1 square foot in size
Fishing
Other
Fishing related items that do not fit into other fishing categories
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Automotive
Tires
Includes tires from all types of automotive vehicles and all sizes.
Automotive
Other
All motorized vehicle related items other than tires, including hubcaps, tailpipes,
batteries used for motorized vehicles, motor oil and other vehicle fluids, rearview
mirrors, lights, or window glass known to be from an automobile or other
motorized vehicle, and whole auto-bodies, trucks, trailers, and truck cabs.
Smoking
Cigarettes & Cannabis
Discarded ends, pieces or filters of cigarettes, cigars and cannabis products,
unsmoked items, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, matches, matchbooks and
packaging for tobacco and cannabis products such as paper boxes, plastic or foil
wrappings, or other materials used to package cigarettes, cigars, cannabis,
chewing or pipe tobacco, including individual cigarette packages and unused
cigarette papers. Spent smokeless tobacco is included.
Smoking
E-Cigarettes & Vaping
Includes all e-cigarette and vaping items.
Smoking
Lighters
Includes lighters of all types and sizes.
Other
Chemical, Paint &
Other Hazardous
Examples include latex paint, oil-based paint, spray paint, stains and varnishes,
pesticides, caustic cleaners, fluorescent and LED bulbs/lamps, and mercury-
containing items such as thermostats and thermometers. This category includes
empty containers of these materials. This category does not include motor oil
and other vehicle fluids (see "Automotive: Others").
Other
Batteries &
Electronics
Electronics and e-related materials such as cell phones, portable electronic book
readers, tablets, laptop computers, computer games and other electronic toys,
CD players, camcorders, digital cameras, cell phone and other device chargers,
microwaves, stereos, VCRs, DVD players, radios, audio/visual equipment,
keyboards, printers, televisions, computers and computer monitors, tapes, CDs,
DVDs and batteries of all types, including lithium batteries.
Other
Building Materials
Includes brick, concrete, gypsum board, fiberglass insulation, roofing waste,
asphalt, lumber, plywood, pallets, nails, screws, toilets, sinks, carpet, and other
building and infrastructure related materials. Other ceramic can be included here
as well, such as ceramic dishware and garden pottery. (For light bulbs/lamps, see
"OTHER: Chemical, Paint & Other Hazardous.")
Other
Furniture & Carpet
All large and hard-to-handle items not defined elsewhere, including furniture,
mattresses, carpet, lawn furniture, and box springs.
Other
Appliances
Includes large appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, stoves, and dryers.
This category does not include electronics such as stereos or microwaves (see
OTHER: Batteries & Electronics").
Other
Medical Waste,
Sharps, &
Biohazardous
Medical waste includes needles, syringes, I.V. tubing, medications, ointments,
creams, nutritional supplements such as vitamins, etc. used to heal or
supplement the nutrition of people or animals. Also includes medicine and
medical equipment packaging.
Other
Textiles, Clothing &
Shoes
Items made of thread, yarn, fabric, cloth, or rubber. Examples include clothes,
fabric trimmings, draperies, leather belts, flip flops, and bathroom rugs. This type
does not include furniture, carpet, or mattresses (see "OTHER: Furniture &
Carpet").
Other
Toiletries/ Personal
Hygiene
Bottles and containers of health care products such as cosmetics, shampoo, hair
care styling products, lotion, personal hygiene products such as toothbrushes
and toothpaste, pads and tampons, diapers, make-up sponges, gloves, and
condoms.
Other
Balloons
Balloons made of all types of materials.
Other
Toys, Sports, & Rec
Equipment
Includes balls of all types, frisbees, sporting equipment of all types, other toys of
all shapes and sizes, non-automotive bicycles, scooters, and tricycles.
Other
Whole Bags of Mixed
Trash
Whole, closed bags of trash of any size. We do not ask you to open and sort the
waste.
Use this category to track any other specific item included in a broader category
above or otherwise not included here, if you desire.
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Photo Examples of Item Condition
Intact / LJn-fouled
There is clear evidence of weathering,
degradation, and/or accumulation of organisms
on the object. Some indicators of the object being
degraded/ heavily fouled are extreme rust,
abrasion, color bleached or undetectable, pitted,
rounded and worn edges, and a brittle or cracked
surface.
Degraded / Heavily Fouled
There is no evidence of object degradation or
organisms growing on it so this would be classified
as intact and unfouled. Some indicators of the
object being intact/ unfouled are preservation of
the original color, no signs of abrasion or rusting,
shiny, and texture intact.
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Appendix 5: Examples of Using the Field Data Card
Example A: Disposable coffee cup lid
If you were to categorize a Starbucks coffee cup lid using ETAP, the lid would be categorized under
the Plastic materials group and as "Lids." You would place this in the Plastic AND "Lids" pile. When
counting, it would be a plastic item.
Next, you will categorize the condition of the lid. If there are no signs of degradation, the lid will be
counted under the "Intact/Un-fouled" Item condition column. See further description and examples
of Item Condition in the Field Reference Sheet.
Under the Notes column, you might add the brand (for example, Starbucks). If you have multiple
Starbucks lids, put the number of these lids next to the brand in the note section (i.e. Starbucks-
12).
Example B: Disinfectant wipe
A disinfectant wipe would be categorized in the Other materials group as "Toiletries/Personal
Hygiene" and placed in this pile for counting. You will also assess the condition (intact versus
degraded) and tally the item under the appropriate column.
Under the Notes column, you might add the type of toiletry/personal hygiene product and the total
number if you have multiple (i.e. Wipes - 8).
Example C: Plastic fragment
To categorize a small piece of plastic, you would place it under the Plastic materials group. If it can't
be easily identified as an item (beverage bottle, bottle cap, etc.) the plastic piece would go into the
"Fragments" category and pile for counting.
The Item Condition would be categorized as "Un-fouled" if the plastic piece was not fragmented due
to degradation, but by the item having been run over by a car, for example.
All of the plastic fragments collected during a site assessment can be measured together using a
measuring cup and recording the total number of cups of fragments.
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Appendix 6: Volume-to-Weight Conversion Table
Below is the U.S. EPA Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery 2016 Volume-to-Weight.
Conversion Factors document for reference when measuring collected trash.
Siandmd X djjht (
-------
Estimated
Category
Recyclable- Mater ial»
Volume
Weight |lbs)
Source
Commingled
Single family Recyclabies
cubic yard
126
2
Recyclable
Containers (Food/beverage, Glass] Corrugated
Containers and Paper- No glass
Material
Campos Rec-ft tobies
cubic yard
133
2
Commercial Re cyclases
cubic yard
155
2
Electronics
Computer Equipment
Desfrrop
one
27
24
Laptop
one
9-8
24
Monitor
Cflr
one
id
1
15 H
one
30
2
17"
one
45
2
21"
one
60
2
Hot Panel
one
24
1
Mixed Monitors
one
29.4
24
Televisions
CRT < 19 taeh
one
41
1
CRT* 19\f\ch
one
73
1
Flat Pane)
one
29
1
Mixed TVs
one
67.3
24
Penptoeral Devices
Printers
one
16.1
24
Mice
one
D.2
9
Keyboards
one
2.9
9
Mobile Devices
Ceiluior Phone
one
0.22
9
Mixed Electronics
Known Goads
cubic yard
343
6
Computer-related £iectramcs
cubic yard
354
6
Other Smaii Coflsmmef Electronics
cubic yard
43B
6
Food
Fats, Oik, Grease
55-galton
412
2
Organlcs - comrrtercial
cubic yard
135
21
Source Separated Organics - commercial
cubic yard
lrODO
15
Food Waste - restaurants
cubic yard
396
21
Food Waste
cubic yard
463
4
Food Waste
cubic foot
22-45
4
Food waste - university
gallon
3J&
22
Food Waste
£4 gallon toter
150
4
2 cubic yard
Food waste
full towable
2,736
4
Glass
Bottles
loose
cubic yard
3SD
4
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Estimated
Category
Recyclable Materials
Volume
Weight ijlbi)
Soune
Metals
Aluminum Cans
Uncompacted
cubic yard
46
4
Unconipacteti
case = 24 cans
~.7
11
Bated
cubic yard
250-500
10
Steel Cans
Whole
cubic yard
50-175
10
Baled
cubic yard
700-1,000
10
Steel Cans - Institution
Whole
can
0.09
7
Whole
cubic yard
136
7
Paper
Newsprint
loose
cubic yard
3&Q-BGQ
1
Bated
cubic yard
750-1,000
10
Books - paperback, loose
cubic yard
42S
23
Old Corrugated Containers
flattened
cubic yard
106
4
Boied
cubic yard
700-1,101
10
Old Corrugated Containers and Chip Board
Uncompocted
cubic yard
74.54
4
Office Paper
Compuref paper
Loose
cubic yard
375-465
1
Compacted/Baled
cubic yard
755-925
1
Mixed
Loose
cubic yard
110-SBQ
1
Loose
cubic yard
323
4
Compacted
cubic yard
¦610-755
1
Shredded
cubic yard
128
4
Mined Bated
cubic yard
1,000-1,200'
10
Miscellaneous
Cartons (milk and juice) tincfustoed
cubic yard
50
7
Plastic
PET
PET Bottles - baled
30"x42"*4B"
525-630
12
PET Thermoform - baled
30"x42"x4B*
525-595
12
HDPE
SiDPE Dairy • baled
3a"xfl2"K4S*
525-700
12
HDPE Mined - bated
3a"*42")t4fi•
525-700
12
Mtaed PET aind HDPE
Loose
cubic yard
32
7
Miited Bottles/Cofitainers #1 - Jf7
loose
cubic yard
40.4
4
Mixed Bottles/Containers S3 - tf7
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 49
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Category
Recyclable Materials
Volume
Estimated
Weight jibs]
Source
Plastic
Loose
cubic yard
25.7
4
Film
LDPEr k>ose
cubic yard
35
13
LDPEr compacted
cubic yard
150
13
LDPE, bated
30' x 42" * W
1,100
13
Miscellaneous
Trash Bags
cubic yard
35
6
Grocery/Merchandise Bags
cubic yard
35
6
Exported Polystyrene
Pack agin of In jiiJ a Won
cubic yard
32
6
Textiles
Mixed Textiles
Loose
cubic yard
L25-175
10
Bated
cubic yard
6OQ-750
10
Wood
Wood
Wood Chips, green
cubic yard
473
1
Wood Chips, dry
cubic yard
243
1
5c Li- Dust, wet
cubic yard
530
1
So w Dust r dry
cubic yard
275
1
Poilets
one
25
1
Pallets and Crates
cubic yard
164
IS
Chnstmas Trees, toose
cubic yard
30
1
Yard!
Trimmings
Yard Tnmmlnp
Leaves
cubic yard
250-500
1
Leaves (Minnesota)
cubic yard
300 - 333
15
Mixed yard waste
Uncampacted
cubic yard
250
1
Compacted
cubic yard
too
1
Primings & Trimmings
cubic yard
127
6
Branches & Stumps
cubic yard
127
6
Municipal
Solid Waste
MSW - Commercial
Commercial - dry waste
cubic yard
56-73
lb, 8
Commercial - all waste, uncompleted
cubic yard
138
21
Mixed MSW - Residential, Institutional, Commercial
Uncampacted
cubic yard
250-30D
14
Compacted
cubic yard
400-70D
14
Mixed MSW - Multifamily uncompacted
cubic yard
95
21
MSW - Landfill
Compacted - MSW Small Landfill with Best
Management Practices
cubic yard
1,200-1,700
1?
Compacted - WSIV Large Landfill with Best
Management Practices
cubic yard
lr700-2,000
17
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 50
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Estimated
Category
Recyclable Materials
Volume
Weight (lbs)
Source
Municipal
Solid Waste
Compacted - MS W Very Large Landfill with
Best Management and Cover Practices,
Combined MMS W/industnat/and other soitd
waste, or/and Leochate Recirculation
cubic yard
>2.000
17
C&D
Concrete
Large Concrete wtth Re-bar
cubtc yard
860
IS
Large Concrete w/thaut Re-bar
cubic yard
860
IS
Small Concrete with Re-bar
cubic yard
360
IS
Small Concrete without Re-bar
cubic yard
360
IS
Asphalt Paving
Large Asphalt Fowng with Re-bar
cubic yard
773
19
Large Asphalt Powngi wtf/rart Re-bar
cubic yard
773
19
Smatf Aspha/f Paying wit/? Re-bar
cubic yard
773
19
SmaU Asphalt Paving without Re-Bar
cubic yard
773
19
Roofing
Composition Roofing
cubic yard
731
IS
Other Asphalt Roofing
cubic yard
731
IS
Other i%ggregates
cubic yard
860
IS
Wood
Clean Dimensional Lumber
cubic yard
163
IS
Ctean Engineered Wood
cubic yard
268
IS
Other Recyclable Wood
cubic yard
169
IS
Painted/Stained Wood
cubic yard
169
IS
Treated Wood
cubic yard
169
IS
Gy psum Board
Clean Gypsum Board
cubic yard
467
IS
Painted/DemolItlan Gypsum
cubic yard
467
IS
Aggregate
Large Rock
cubic yard
999
IS
Small Rock/Crave!
cubic yard
999
IS
Dirt and Sand
cubic yard
929
IS
Remainder/Composite
Construction and Demolition
cubic yard
417
IS
Construction & Demolition Bulk
cubic yard
484
20
Metal
Major Appliances
cubic yard
145
IS
Other Ferrous
cubic yard
225
IS
Other Non-ferrous
cubic yard
225
IS
Remainder/Composite Metal
(avg of metals, without used cut filters)
cubic yard
143
IS
HVAC Ducting
cubic yard
47
IS
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 51
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1 Oregon DepvtiMM o1 En-rtfonmental Quality. 2007Qre$on Material Hand want Generatis-i Rates Swwt Sasxember .2005
KLOCMi Attachment ft Measurement Stvidards and fteportng Guidfirie* 0J-IA-134.
hnp./i'»ww.dati.itate.or.ut/lieLi'pufeVdotJiA'w.i'MRAriv:hmenifl.pdf
2 Department of Ecology, Sim ol Washitgteh. Coordinated Prevention Gram Convert, or. Sheet. 2014.
3 Face v developed i-ding lead per battery data Va«ri Battery CouncJ international. Aecycl % Partes HXtiici 2011. A^-il Mm.
hrtp.yycifrwdrt.comyciietyba!nef|Coun£j.Grg/retource/resm9'/BCi_Retytlin4_Rate_5fudr_2Ci0.ftft aPP'ed m battery cj&t&asiiiaft
U«ui I""'-1''i ji jriJ awim, #.. 20jti. A hwvvw ul BdiLvry "rw CyUu *rwl|n^- iun ul k!uuwlvi^e afld Critical Needs.October'
am Center tor Traftjf»j tjC>jr-i Research, Energy System Drreiien, Argonne national uboratory ahLi'ESQ/10-T.
4 ^eep America 3eau0lti toume-i c-WfahtJ»ty difif, and Trasft ton wit jinn Facias Report, &ocembar2013
5 Rubber Mvuracusers Association i'RMA|. 2033 LIS. Strap Tire Management Summary No»emlw-.' 2014.
http.yy»m^,rmaiiM^derwnloa^scjiap-tiresymvkBi-rep'niWliS SFMvfcaesi cam/ril«^FtflUplMia,'Wlatrt^eai» Aluminum Association. US. Aluminum Severaftf Can Kecidini
h11pw.wm.ai¦ jTiiium.te-k,''i3ifau11,<1 ^et/teci^lmi imaaet.i'L'SCRecY»:tn(iRaie2tiH adf
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1$ Tellut scaled down by laciw f ?ont Florida CfcD study - Converting C&O Cwbnifrom Volume to Wei^vt. A fan Sheet rear
CRD Debris Facility Operatori. University of Florida. 2000.
2Q flanda Seipt ol invironmental frotecdon http.iVawi.dep.siate.fl.uSi'wasce.i'eateaorieVi'ecvding.fcdj'canddmaii.hiiTi
21 CalRecyde 20a4 Oerwrator.Based Characteritatic^ of Cotwywrcial Sector Oitposal and Divereori in California. September 10.20IS.
hitp.y.i'nwn.calcecycle ca got/Pubhcaiionsycocume-i'iV LS4.3/20 LSI S4 ].pdf
OrgaAa - putre^oEle rt-taieria hauled by a contrKted twd pany to a permitted facility mainly engaged in producing compost or
mukh, or in anasrobic dtgs-iiion ol organics. Minor mechvital separatiortor conurvinanis or recydafate materiab maroccur at the
radii* ori- tota units collected.
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 52
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Appendix 7: ETAP Table Cards
Group: PLASTIC
1. Bottles &
Containers
Description: Plastic bottles and jugs of any size or
resin. Examples include plastic bottles and jugs for
soda, water, sports drinks, juice, tea, milk, wine
coolers, and liguor bottles. Includes bottles labelled
"compostable"or "bio-based
Group: PLASTIC
2. Straws &
Stirrers
Description: Plastic drinking straws and stirrers.
Includes "compostable" or "bio-based."
Group: PLASTIC Group: PLASTIC
3. Bottle Caps & 4. Beverage Rings
Tabs
Description: Loose plastic bottle caps, plastic pull
tabs, lids, and seals made of plastic, used in the
packaging/sealing of beverage containers. Does not
include bottle caps that are still on a beverage
bottle.
Description: Beverage packaging rings to hold soft
drinks or beer cans. Examples: 4-pack, 6-pack, 8-pack,
& 12-pack beverage rings commonly used for canned
or bottled beverages.
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Group: PLASTIC
Group: PLASTIC
6. Food & Drink
Pouches
5. Food
Wrappers &
Snack Bags
Description: Wrappings or bags used to package food,
such as wrappers for candy and gum, snack bags, chip
bags, zipper-closeable bags, condiment packets, and
produce bags. Includes wrappers labelled
"compostable" or "bio-based." Does not include
pouches (see PLASTIC: Food & Drink Pouches).
Group: PLASTIC
7. Cups
Description: Includes plastic cups of all sizes other
than foam.
Description: Plastic pouches made of thicker, multi-
layer flexible material. May have a flat bottom so
that package would stand up on its own, but not
always. Material is thicker than potato chip bags.
Examples include plastic coffee packages; juice
pouches; baby food pouches with or without plastic
screw top; soup pouches; salad dressing pouches;
wine pouches; and backpacking meals in pouches.
Group: PLASTIC
8. Lids
Description: Plastic lids from plastic tubs and
containers, such as cottage cheese, yogurt, butter,
etc.
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Group: PLASTIC
9. Utensils
Description: Plastic forks, knives, and spoons.
Group: PLASTIC
10. Plates &
Bowls
Description: Plastic plates and bowls of all sizes
other than foam.
Group: PLASTIC
11. Clamshells
Description: Hinged plastic (not foam) take-out
containers of any size that open like the shell of a
clam.
Group: PLASTIC
12. Grocery &
Retail Bags
Description: Plastic shopping bags used to contain
merchandise, given out by the store or restaurant
with the purchase (including dry cleaning bags). This
type does not include full bags of trash (see "OTHER:
Whole Bags of Mixed Trash"). Includes bags labelled
"compostable" or "bio-based."
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 55
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Group: PLASTIC
13. Small
Fragments (1
tally = 1 cup)
Description: Film or hard plastic pieces of unknown
origin less than 2.5 cm in their longest dimension. If
less than 1 cup of fragments are found record one
tally * If you want to collect and count microplastic
pieces (<5mm in size) using this protocol, we
suggest that you use a write-in space.
Group: FOAM
15. Cups
Description: Foam (also known as expanded
polystyrene or styrofoam) cups of all sizes.
Group: PLASTIC
14. Other Plastic
Description: Plastic that cannot be put in any other
category. Includes film/flexible plastic other than grocery
and retail bags (see PLASTIC: Grocery & Retail Bags) and
balloons (see "OTHER: Balloons"). Includes durable
plastic products other than toys and games (see "OTHER:
Recreation"), and furniture (see "OTHER: Furniture &
Carpet"). Examples: salad dressing bottles, condiment
bottles, butter, yogurt, and cottage cheese tubs, buckets,
laundry baskets, totes, garbage cans, flower pots, and
plastic pipes; and film products such as agricultural film
(films used in various farming and growing applications,
such as silage greenhouse films, mulch films, and wrap
for hay bales), plastic sheeting used as drop cloths,
plastic mailing pouches, shrink-wrap, and bubble wrap.
Includes items labelled "compostable" or "bio-based."
Does not include any personal care products or bottles
(see "OTHER: Toiletries/personal hygiene").
Group: FOAM
16. Plates &
Bowls
Description: Foam Plates and Bowls of all sizes.
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 56
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Group: FOAM
17. Clamshells
Description: Hinged foam take-out containers of any
size that open like the shell of a clam.
Group: PAPER
19. Cardboard
Description: Cardboard has a center wavy layer
sandwiched between two outer layers. Examples
include entire cardboard containers, such as
shipping and moving boxes, computer packaging
cartons, and sheets and pieces of boxes and cartons.
This category does not include chipboard boxes such
as cereal boxes or tissue boxes (see "PAPER: Other
Paper").
Group: FOAM
18. Small
Fragments &
Other Foam (1
tally = 1 cup of
small pieces)
Description: All other foam items, including foam ice
chests, foam packing peanuts and other product
packing foam, and foam used for home food
packaging such as foam meat trays and egg
Group: PAPER
20. Bags
Description: Paper Bags made from kraft paper.
Paper may be brown (unbleached) or white
(bleached). Examples include paper grocery bags,
fast food bags, and department store bags.
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 57
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Group: PAPER
Group: PAPER
21. Newspaper,
Junk Mail,
Receipts &
Office Paper
Description: Paper used for newspapers, receipts, white
ledger and other office paper, magazines and catalogs,
glossy inserts, stapled college class schedules, manila
envelopes, junk mail, carbonless forms, catalogs, and
brochures. Does not include hardback or paperback
books or telephone directories (see "PAPER: Other
Paper").
22.Cups
Description: Paper cups, often lined with either
plastic or wax, such as to-go coffee cups.
Group: PAPER
23. Beverage &
Food Cartons
Description: Gable-top containers such as milk
cartons and orange juice cartons, and aseptic
containers used for products like soy milk, coconut
water, or soup. These are often paper containers
lined with plastic.
Group: PAPER
24. Other Paper
Description: Items made mostly of paper that do not
fit into any of the above types. Examples include
tissue boxes, paperboard boxes for software, self-
adhesive notes, hard cover and paperback books,
telephone directories, sepia, carbon paper,
photographs, sheets of paper, stick-on labels, and
paper mailing envelopes lined with bubble wrap or
plastic, plates, bowls, paper straws, paper and
waxed paper wrappings, wooden stirrers, cup and
beverage holders, napkins or paper towels, and
pizza boxes, cereal boxes, cardboard egg cartons,
ice cream cartons and other frozen food boxes, and
boxes used to hold 6 or more individual beverages.
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 58
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Group: GLASS
25. Bottles, Jars
& Containers
Description: Glass bottles, jars, or containers of any
size or color designed to contain beverages such as
beer, wine, wine coolers, liquor, soda, water, tea,
juice, sports & health drinks or contains food such
as, pickles, olives, mayonnaise, jam, and sauces.
Group: METAL
27. Bottles, Cans
& Containers
Description: Metal bottles, cans or containers of any
size designed to contain beverages such as beer,
juice or soda; also includes canned food and pet
food.
Group: GLASS
26. Small
Fragments &
Other Glass (1
tally = 1 cup)
Description: Glass products that do not fit into
another category, or that are not distinguishable by
type of product. Fragments less than 2.5 cm in their
longest dimension.
Group: METAL
28. Bottle Caps
& Tabs
Description: Pull tabs, bottle caps, lids, and seals
made of metal and used in the packaging/sealing of
metal beverage containers.
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 59
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Group: METAL
29. Other Metal
Description: Products made entirely from metal or
predominantly metal products that do not fit into
any other category. Includes items such as metal
clothes hangers, metal pipes, aluminum tinfoil, and
small appliances comprised mainly of metal such as
toasters and hair dryers. Does not include
electronics such as microwaves (see "OTHER:
Batteries & Electronics"), or major appliances such
as refrigerators (see "OTHER: Appliances").
Group: FISHING
30. Hooks, Lures
& Floats
Description: Includes fishing hooks, lures, buoys, &
floats.
Group: FISHING
31. Traps & Trap
Parts
Description: Traps used to catch crabs, lobster, fish,
or other organisms.
Group: FISHING
32. Nets &
Ropes (1 tally = 1
foot)
Description: Nets and ropes. 1 tally = 1 continuous
foot. Example: 5 continuous feet of rope equals 5
tallies.
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Group: FISHING
33. Fishing Line
(1 tally = 1 foot)
Description: 1 tally = 1 continuous foot of fishing
line.
Group: FISHING
35. Other Fishing
Description: Fishing related items that do not fit into
other fishing categories.
Group: FISHING
34. Tangled
Fishing Line
Bundles (1 tally
= 1 square foot)
Description: Tangled bundle of fishing line larger
than 1 square foot in size.
Group: AUTOMOTIVE
36. Tires
Description: Includes tires from all types of automotive
vehicles and all sizes.
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Group: AUTOMOTIVE
37. Other
Automotive
Group: SMOKING
38. Cigarettes &
Cannabis
Description: All motorized vehicle related items other
than tires, including hubcaps, tailpipes, batteries used
for motorized vehicles, motor oil and other vehicle
fluids, rearview mirrors, lights, or window glass known
to be from an automobile or other motorized vehicle,
and whole auto-bodies, trucks, trailers, and truck cabs.
Description: Discarded ends, pieces or filters of
cigarettes, cigars and cannabis products, unsmoked
items, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, matches,
matchbooks and packaging for tobacco and
cannabis products such as paper boxes, plastic or
foil wrappings, or other materials used to package
cigarettes, cigars, cannabis, chewing or pipe
tobacco, including individual cigarette packages and
unused cigarette papers. Spent smokeless tobacco is
included.
Group: SMOKING
43. E-cigarettes &
Vaping
Description: Includes all e-cigarette and vaping
items.
Group: SMOKING
39. Lighters
Description: Includes lighters of all types and sizes.
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Group: OTHER
40. Chemical,
Paint & Other
Hazardous
Description: Examples include latex paint, oil-based
paint, spray paint, stains and varnishes, pesticides,
caustic cleaners, fluorescent and LED bulbs/lamps,
and mercury-containing items such as thermostats
and thermometers. This category includes empty
containers of these materials. This category does
not include motor oil and other vehicle fluids (see
"Automotive: Others").
Group: OTHER
41. Batteries &
Electronics
Description: Electronics and e-related materials such
as cell phones, portable electronic book readers,
tablets, laptop computers, computer games and
other electronic toys, CD players, camcorders,
digital cameras, cell phone and other device
chargers, microwaves, stereos, VCRs, DVD players,
radios, audio/visual equipment, keyboards, printers,
televisions, computers and computer monitors,
tapes, CDs, DVDs and batteries of all types,
including lithium batteries.
Group: OTHER Group: OTHER
42. Building 44. Furniture &
Materials Carpet
Description: Includes brick, concrete, gypsum board,
fiberglass insulation, roofing waste, asphalt,
lumber, plywood, pallets, nails, screws, toilets, sinks,
carpet, and other building and infrastructure related
materials. Other ceramic can be included here as
well, such as ceramic dishware and garden pottery.
(For light bulbs/lamps, see "OTHER: Chemical, Paint
& Other Hazardous.")
Description: All large and hard-to-handle items not
defined elsewhere, including furniture, mattresses,
carpet, lawn furniture, and box springs.
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Group: OTHER
45. Appliances
Description: Includes large appliances such as
refrigerators, dishwashers, stoves, and dryers. This
category does not include electronics such as
stereos or microwaves (see OTHER: Batteries &
Electronics").
Group: OTHER
46. Medical
Waste, Sharps,
& Biohazardous
Description: Medical waste includes needles,
syringes, I.V. tubing, medications, ointments,
creams, nutritional supplements such as vitamins,
etc. used to heal or supplement the nutrition of
people or animals. Also includes medicine and
medical equipment packaging.
Group: OTHER
47. Textiles,
Clothing & Shoes
Description: Items made of thread, yarn, fabric,
cloth, or rubber. Examples include clothes, fabric
trimmings, draperies, leather belts, flip flops, and
bathroom rugs. This type does not include furniture,
carpet, or mattresses (see "OTHER: Furniture &
Carpet").
Group: OTHER
48. Toiletries/
Personal
Hygiene
Description: Bottles and containers of health care
products such as cosmetics, shampoo, hair care
styling products, lotion, personal hygiene products
such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, pads and
tampons, diapers, make-up sponges, gloves, and
condoms.
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Group: OTHER
Group: OTHER
49. Balloons
Description: Balloons made of all types of materials.
50. Toys, Sports
& Recreational
Equipment
Description: Includes balls of all types, frisbees,
sporting equipment of all types, other toys of all
shapes and sizes, non-automotive bicycles, scooters,
and tricycles.
Group: OTHER Group: OTHER - [Write in]
51. Whole Bags
of Mixed Trash
Description: Whole, closed bags of trash of any size
We do not ask you to open and sort the waste.
Description: [Use this category to track any other
specific item included in a broader category above
or otherwise not included here, if you desire].
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 65
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OTHER-[Write in]
OTHER-[Write in]
Description: [Use this category to track any other
specific item included in a broader category above
or otherwise not included here, if you desire].
OTHER-[Write in]
Description: [Use this category to track any other
specific item included in a broader category above
or otherwise not included here, if you desire].
Description: [Use this category to track any other
specific item included in a broader category above
or otherwise not included here, if you desire].
OTHER-[Write in]
Description: [Use this category to track any other
specific item included in a broader category above
or otherwise not included here, if you desire].
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 66
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OTHER-[Write in]
OTHER-[Write in]
Description: [Use this category to track any other
specific item included in a broader category above
or otherwise not included here, if you desire].
OTHER-[Write in]
Description: [Use this category to track any other
specific item included in a broader category above
or otherwise not included here, if you desire].
Description: [Use this category to track any other
specific item included in a broader category above
or otherwise not included here, if you desire].
OTHER-[Write in]
Description: [Use this category to track any other
specific item included in a broader category above
or otherwise not included here, if you desire].
U.S. EPA Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol | 67
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