New Trash Trap To Capture Litter In Smithfield’s Spring Branch

SMITHFIELD, N.C. — A trash-collection device designed to capture floating debris before it reaches the Neuse River will soon be installed on a creek in the heart of Smithfield.

Staff and volunteers with the environmental organization Sound Rivers plan to anchor the trash trap along the banks of Spring Branch on March 13. The device is designed to collect litter from the creek and prevent it from flowing downstream into the Neuse River.

“A trash trap collects and removes as much floating debris as possible from the water, which is most often just different forms of plastic — plastic bottles, junk food wrappers, takeout containers, plastic bags and lots of scraps of unidentifiable things,” said Clay Barber, program director for Sound Rivers.

Over time, larger plastic items known as macroplastics break down into microscopic fragments called microplastics, which settle in waterways, streambeds and even aquatic life.

“These traps are helping us learn about what kinds of litter make its way into our rivers and allow us to intercept it before it breaks down into smaller pieces and is impossible to remove,” Barber said.

The Smithfield installation is part of Sound Rivers’ Litter-Free Rivers program, which places passive litter-collection devices in urban waterways throughout the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds.

The program began in 2022 with the installation of the first of two trash traps on Jack’s Creek in Washington. Since then, additional traps have been installed on Duffyfield Canal in New Bern; Walnut and Little Rock creeks in Raleigh; Adkin Branch in Kinston; Greens Mill Run in Greenville; East Tarboro Canal in Tarboro; and Little Creek in Clayton.

Three more traps were later installed on Marsh Creek in Raleigh through a partnership with the City of Raleigh, The Great Raleigh Cleanup and North Carolina State University.

“Through these trash traps, we’ve removed nearly five tons of trash from these waterways,” Barber said. “Now Smithfield — and Trash Trap No. 14 — will be pitching in to the effort to make the Neuse litter-free.”

Sound Rivers worked with staff from the Johnston County Parks and Open Space Program to identify the best location for the device in Smithfield. The trap is designed to withstand flash rain events, allowing water to pass through while capturing larger pieces of trash carried downstream.

The public is invited to attend the installation March 13 at 11 a.m. at Spring Branch near the community garden at the corner of Fifth and Church streets.

Sound Rivers is also seeking volunteers to help monitor the trash trap. Volunteers will check when the device needs to be cleaned and assist with removing debris. Those willing to enter the water to pull trash from the trap will be provided with gear.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Sound Rivers volunteer coordinator Emily Fritz at emily@soundrivers.org.

Founded in 1980-81, Sound Rivers is one of the oldest grassroots conservation organizations in North Carolina. The nonprofit monitors and protects two watersheds covering nearly a quarter of the state. Through its Riverkeepers on the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico rivers, the organization works to preserve the health of waterways and the communities that depend on them through science-based advocacy and environmental justice efforts.

More information is available at soundrivers.org.