Push for river cleanup continues

TIFFIN – Curtis Casto, founder of the Onion Bag Litter Prevention Project, is continuing his push for river cleanup in Tiffin, with the installation of more Onion Bag Boxes. Originally started in 2019, the Onion Bag Litter Prevention Project aims to help clean up litter in parks and at river access points. According to their website, the idea came from The Buffalo River in Arkansas, which flows through a National Forest. "No plastic bags or Styrofoam are permitted in the area so at the beginning of your trip down the river, they issue you an Onion Bag," said Casto, "You collect trash during your trip and properly dispose of your trash then give the onion bag back for reuse." During an interview, Jakob Boehler, one of the park board members for Seneca County Parks and Casto provided updates regarding the project. Casto, who recently finished helping with the cleanup of the Mohican River, said he scouted several locations in the area and found several spots in Upper Sandusky to place the boxes. "I kinda jumped the gun a little bit and put some in at Indian Mill before finding out there were concerns regarding vandalism," said Casto. "So I have since gone back to move them." However, he said that since he began the project five years ago, only one box has been vandalized. Local Impact Clinton Nature Preserve in Tiffin recently received its first box. Casto said, "I showed up there probably around 8:30 a.m. to install the box even though it was pouring rain." The night before, he said, he was permitted by members of the Seneca Parks committee to install it. Another park that received a box was Steyer Nature Preserve, also located in Tiffin. Another location that Casto previously showed interest in was also discussed – Junior Home Park. Boehler said that the water in downtown Tiffin is too shallow for kayakers to traverse without scraping the bottom of their boats but noted that Junior Home would still be a good place to install a box. There are class 3 rapids that run from Tiffin to Fremont which receive a lot of activity in the summer, he said. Casto said that while he primarily has been setting up these boxes near river access points, it does not have to be limited to those. "These onion bags are actually both cheaper per bag and last longer if you reuse them," he said. "I'd imagine they work just fine as a trash bag, especially since they can be dragged without ripping as easily." He compared the cost per bag, pricing plastic trash bags at around $0.50 a piece and onion bags at $0.20 to $0.30 apiece. As a part of some of their next steps, Casto is currently looking for volunteers to maintain and refill the boxes, with most of the committees behind each park district volunteering. In Tiffin, Boehler volunteered to handle the area, whereas in Fremont it will be handled by Ghoul Runnings, and Upper Sandusky will be handled by maintenance workers. "I would say we are about 80% done with the Sandusky River, and about 15% done with the state," said Casto. "We have about 130 boxes installed so far, and we had originally aimed to install 400 this year." For more information about the Onion Bag Litter Prevention Project, visit theonionbaglitterpreventionproject.org.