ISWEP is launching its 26 on 26 challenge, a statewide campaign encouraging Iowans to pick up 26 pieces of trash on the 26th of every month. In communities large and small across Iowa, people will be heading outside on the same day each month to keep litter out of our waterways. No special equipment, no registration, no fee. Just grab a bag and collect 26 pieces of litter from your neighborhood, a local park, or your walk to work.
It sounds simple because it is. But the impact is bigger than you might think.
Where does litter go when it rains?
Most people don’t realize that storm drains flow directly to local rivers, lakes, and streams without any treatment. When rain falls on streets, sidewalks, and parking lots, it picks up whatever is lying on the ground and carries it straight into our waterways.
A candy wrapper in a parking lot becomes pollution in a creek. A cigarette butt on a sidewalk becomes a source of toxic chemicals in a stream. That plastic bag caught on a fence will eventually break apart and wash into a storm drain.
Across the U.S., nearly 50 billion pieces of litter sit along roadways and waterways. About 5.7 billion of those are cigarette butts alone, which contain plastic filters and more than 4,000 chemicals including arsenic and lead. Cigarette butts are the single most littered item in the country, making up nearly 20% of all litter.
The microplastics connection
Here’s where it gets more concerning. As plastic litter breaks down in the environment, it doesn’t disappear. It fragments into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics, tiny particles under 5 millimeters that persist in water and soil indefinitely.
Recent research has found microplastics are common in stormwater samples and can occur at concentrations significantly higher than what comes out of wastewater treatment plants. That means stormwater runoff is one of the biggest ways microplastics enter our rivers and lakes. The most common types found are fibers and fragments from tire wear, but everyday litter like plastic bottles, food wrappers, and foam containers all contribute.
During heavy rain, roughly 90% of the microplastic load in stormwater washes out in the first phase of rainfall. So every piece of plastic litter sitting on the ground when a storm hits is a potential source of microplastic pollution.
Forever chemicals ride along too
Many of the food wrappers and takeout containers that end up as litter contain PFAS, a group of synthetic chemicals used to make packaging grease-resistant and waterproof. PFAS are sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment. As littered food packaging sits in rain and sun, those chemicals can leach into soil and stormwater. Scientists have linked PFAS exposure to health concerns including higher cancer risk, weakened immune response, and thyroid problems.
Why 26 pieces matters
Every piece of trash you pick up is one less source of pollution heading for the nearest storm drain. Multiply that by a community of people doing the same thing on the same day, month after month, and the numbers add up fast.
Green infrastructure like rain gardens and bioswales can help filter pollutants from stormwater. Research shows rain gardens can capture up to 96% of microplastic particles. But the simplest, cheapest, most effective line of defense is keeping trash off the ground in the first place.
Join the effort
ISWEP works with more than 40 communities across Iowa to protect water quality. The 26 on 26 challenge is one more way we can all pitch in together, no matter where in the state you live.
Pick up 26 pieces of trash on the 26th of each month. Share a photo on social media and tag ISWEP to help spread the word. Bring your family, your coworkers, your neighbors. Make it a habit.
Every piece counts. Every month matters. Every community in Iowa can make a difference.