This gentleman wrote an e-mail to John Stark of the Bellingham Herald my article is based  on Mr. Swindell's words and hard work.  I called him and he was kind enough to supply me with the list of items below the fully quoted e-mail.  Thanks Mr. Swindell for all your hard work for the community.

Charlie Crabtree

 

Dated July 11, 2011

I am disheartened by the City Council's actions yesterday.

My wife and I are retired and have lived here over five years.   During that time we have walked the streets of our Cordata neighborhood.  We walked primarily for the exercise, but to make our walks more purposeful we carry bags and pick up debris as we find it.  Over the years we decided to keep a log of our findings and from April through October in 2010 we recorded the following: 114 grocery bags of recycle materials, 219 grocery bags of just plain trash, and amazingly, we picked up 19,977 cigarette butts.  In that collection there were probably less than 25 plastic bags.

The attached is a summary list of what we have picked up in the last five years.  Should we not consider banning fast food containers or cigarettes or diapers or cardboard or medical supplies?  I feel this action to ban grocery bags is a response to the guilt feelings that some of our population has to our affluence and consumption.  Let's ban cigarettes to reduce the carbon in the atmosphere and slow down global warming.  This would be just about as effective as banning the bags to save the whales.

Remember when plastic grocery bags are outlawed only outlaws will have plastic grocery bags!

 

Cal Swindell

TRASH LIST

  • Medical Supplies

Q-tips

Bandages

Dental floss picks of various configurations

Surgical gloves

Hypodermic needles

Pill boxes & packets

  • Foodstuffs

Apple cores

Banana peels

Orange peels

Eggs and eggshells

Meat

Peanuts and shells

Chewing gum

  • Clothing

Socks

Trousers

Tee shirts

Baby shoes and booties

Work boots

Sneakers

Sweatshirts

Brassieres and thongs

Other underwear

  • Automobile parts

Wheel covers

Tail lights

Tires

Wreckage remains

Hub caps

  • Containers

Beer bottles and cans

Soda pop bottles and cans

Plastic water bottles

Plastic shopping bags

  • Fast food debris

Styrofoam cups

Plastic and paper cups

Food wrappers/boxes

Plastic soda straws

Condiment packets

Candy and gum wrappers

Napkins

  • Tobacco products

Cigarette cartons

Cigarette packs

Cigarette butts

Cigar stubs

Snuff boxes

  • Drug paraphernalia

Heroin cooking spoons

Marijuana pipes

Needles

  • Toys

Baby rattles

Miniature cars

Bicycle

Balloons

Doll clothes

  • TRASH LIST (Miscellaneous)

Diapers (used)

Doggy fecal bags

Birth control items

Cardboard boxes

Styrofoam sheets

Styrofoam peanuts

Air bubble packing

Shredded paper

Newspaper debris

Bus schedules

Paperback books

Knives, forks and spoons

Plastic garbage bags

Drinking glass

Leather daytimer and pad

Beer and wine stash

Stolen purse

Stolen plumber’s tools and carrying valise

Damaged cell phone

CDs and DVDs

Tape cassettes

Cell phone batteries

Sun glasses

Personal letters and bills

Payroll check stubs

Credit cards

Live ammunition

Passport

Wallet with $48 and credit cards and driver’s licence