A whopping 8.12 tons of trash were removed from the beach at Birch Bay Beach Park on July 5 by volunteers following the Fourth of July fireworks show.
This marks an almost 23% increase from the 2025 collection of 6.6 tons.
Danielle Gaughen, Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce executive director, said not all trash removed was litter from fireworks.
“The items left behind ranged from soiled baby diapers, food containers, empty (and even some full) beverage containers and beer cans to oysters, watermelons, broken canopies, chairs, barbecues and much more,” Gaughen wrote in an email to The Northern Light.
The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce would like to remind those who choose to enjoy the fireworks show on the beach to pack in and pack out their trash, and that the goal is to leave behind less trash than the year before, not to collect more each year.
