In a December 1 article in the San Antonio Express-News, staff writer Annie Blanks highlighted an emerging threat to the health of the San Marcos River – discarded plastic vape pens. Let’s all pitch in to educate paddlers, tubers, and others about the seriousness of this problem.
“River cleanup crews have pulled 204 vape pens from the river in 2022 alone, accounting for a significant chunk of the human-made litter that is dug out from the riverbed and untangled from plants.”
“While all the trash is worrisome because it is bad for the environment, the vape pens in particular are bad not just because of their plastic component, but also because the chemicals and ingredients inside the pens can be dangerous for fish, salamanders and other wildlife that call the river home.”