From bottles to bikes, litter traps in the Cumberland River basin are trapping loads of trash

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Thousands of pounds of trash including balloons, Styrofoam, bottles, and even bikes are pulled from our local waterways every year.

Removing all of it is a bit of an uphill battle.

The Cumberland River Compact team filled a trash bag during our visit. See what they discovered in the video player above. 

Before it gets too far downstream, Nashville is using a new method to at least stop it.

The Cumberland River Compact recently installed a litter trap, only the second in the city, to collect garbage. It is set up in North Fork Ewing Creek off Brick Church Pike.

"The more urbanized a section, the more trash we see," explained Natalie Stone when asked about the location. "So places behind shopping centers, [near] businesses. We're having to be more mindful and this is a great educational instrument to be more mindful of what can collect in your stream."

According to the Cumberland River Compact, litter traps are an effective way to manage litter in a waterway and help to improve habitat for animals, enjoyment for recreators, and the cleanliness of the source of Nashville’s drinking water which is the Cumberland River.

"[When] we aren't able to be on-site and boots on the ground, this is a great way to store that and collect that trash before someone has time to take it out," Stone said.

The newest trap was installed in April. So far, it has trapped around 200 pounds of trash. It was funded by Cox Enterprises in Atlanta.

The first litter trap was installed in Sevenmile Creek in 2022. It has diverted 1,925 pounds of trash or 77 bags of trash from the waterway since it was put in.

Traps cost around $26,000.

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