You may have noticed them scattered around your town, the lonely, forgotten compost socks, the discarded reminders of a construction project long completed. Vegetation begins to sprout through the colorful mesh, and as it grows, the socks are ripped by weed eaters and lawn mowers. Seasons come and go, and the socks recede further into the environment, gradually breaking apart by the effects of the elements and time. The mulch decomposes, mixing with the existing soil, but where does the mesh go? Made of polypropylene, it will continue to break into smaller and smaller pieces – microplastics.
When a construction site is permitted under a City Land Disturbance Permit, removal of temporary sediment and erosion control products like compost sock is required prior to termination of the permit. At the end of the project, this can easily be done by cutting the sock open, releasing the mulch from inside and disposing of the relatively light plastic material. However, there are many sites that go unpermitted due to being less than 1 acre or falling under a permit exemption. For these sites, there is no permit to close and therefore no incentive to remove the socks – that’s where the Sock Rodeo comes in!
To bring attention to the issue of construction waste and plastic waste in particular, City of Springfield staff saddled up and spent a morning removing these derelict socks from the right-of-way. Don’t let the fun photos full you, sock wrangling is hard work! Over time, sediment builds up around the socks, and vegetation grows through them, rooting them tightly into the ground below. The sock is soggy and heavy, and it rips into pieces as it is peeled away from the earth. Using pocketknives and our bare hands, we removed and properly disposed of approximately 90 pounds of waste at the local landfill.
As concerns about microplastics in our environment grow, it’s important to rethink the way we utilize plastic in temporary erosion control products. For example, if erosion control is only needed temporarily until vegetation is established, consider using blankets made of natural materials like jute, coconut, and wood fiber. Although plastic is an important component of many sediment and erosion control BMPs, it’s important to remember that the majority of these products are intended to be temporary. When these products are left indefinitely on a stabilized site following construction, these same materials become plastic waste.
As sediment and erosion control professionals dedicated to protecting our water resources, don’t let old BMPs be a “hitch in your giddy-up.” Make sure temporary erosion control products get removed and properly disposed of at the end of construction. If they do get left behind, you can always get your lasso out and start roping!
This message brought to you by: Sarah Wilkerson, Senior Stormwater Specialist & Teri Arceneaux, Stormwater Technician