The 2008 was the seventh consecutive year of a volunteer action to control trash on the Foxcroft Road. The author conducts this survey as a single observer. However, there are others who also pick up trash on the Foxcroft Road, i.e. Foxcroft students themselves. Therefore, if anything the numbers here noted are understated.

In six out of the last eight years the absolute numbers had risen. However this year the total numbers are down dramatically, 899 individual pieces of trash down 21% from 2007.

To aid those first time readers and as a reminder to past readers of this column, the course of trash collection is a 4.6 mile route of dirt and hard road that includes portions of the Polecat Hill Rd. (Rt. 696), the Foxcroft Rd. (Rt. 626), the Snake Hill Rd. (Rt. 744), and the Millville Rd. (Rt. 743). The numbers will be stated with respect to 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Though the absolute numbers are down the relative percentages of the various groups show a predictable consistency.

In 2008, 899 individual pieces of repetitive trash were retrieved from the Foxcroft Road, and most of it was recycled. Trash decreased by a significant number (244) 21%. The trash total of 2007 / 2008 are the exceptions since the beginning of this study in that a yearly increase has been the rule (2002: 713< 2003: 950< 2004: 1033< 2005: 1099< 2006: 1216: > 1143: 2007: > 899: 2008). Do we have a trend? Maybe but the ratios maintain a marked consistency over time i.e. Beverage Containers ~57%, Tobacco ~ 7%, Fast Food ~ 11%, and Slow Food ~ 6%.

The Tobacco group is, as usual, dominated by Marlboro (43) or 71% of tobacco overall, and followed by Parliament (5), and Newport (4). Tobacco seems to be able to hold 7-8% of the trash numbers over time. Therefore, America's most favored merchant de mort must have a good propaganda department as well as "liberal" government oversight. We all know that over-regulation is a bad thing, but it may be soon that tobacco will be classified as a drug, which of course it is. We all owe the lobbying industry a great debt of gratitude for allowing the American consumer unfettered access to all tobacco products for at least the last thirty years.

In the New Age-Soft Drink category, Coca-Cola has held superiority over Pepsico (81 vs. 70). Considering that Coke produces 40% of the world's beverage containers, it is interesting to note that Coke's presence on the road is only 61% of Anheuser-Busch's production.

In the Beer, Wine and Booze category Anheuser-Busch is the hands down winner, while accounting for 15% of all Foxcroft road trash. This year Anheuser-Busch was taken over by the Belgian company InBev. The price was ~ $53 billion. One wonders if the old policy of socializing the obvious waste products of this industry will be continued by the new owner. Why change, because nothing succeeds like success. Miller/Coors has moved up to 7% of overall trash (61 individual pieces) and Heineken third in the beer group.

Bottled water comes in PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. The usual leader in this category is Deer Park with Kirkland second, Dasani (Coke) third and Aquafina (Pepsico) fourth. In the New Age category, Red Bull (19) represented 31% of the group.

It is interesting to speculate concerning the 21% drop in trash production this year. Well, it was 2008 after all. The S & P Index fell by 38%. The Kentucky TB sales were off from 24% for yearlings to 50% for broodmares. The Shanghai stock market was off 62%. If anything these market figures should drive one to drink more rather than less. With high gas prices were people driving less? Foxcroft School also picks up the Foxcroft Road upon occasion. How about the down turn in construction? That gets my vote.

Please note that seven corporations account for 51% of all the trash. The lucky seven are: MacDonald's, 7-11 (Southland Corp), Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Marlboro, Anheuser-Busch (InBev), and Miller/Coors. These companies have some qualities in common. They are all well managed and profitable. This is all the more remarkable in that they all produce ingestible products that have no nutritional value. There is no one on this earth who cannot easily live without any of the products of the "Slovenly Seven." Now does the reader suppose that our current market situation in some way reflect the airball economy of these corporations? Are the corporate entities such as Enron, Washington Mutual, Lehman Bros. just the phantom antecedents for the "Slovenly Seven"?

[Detailed trash statistics by category and year follow]