This was the eighth 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, such as the Middleburg Hunt and the Foxcroft students themselves. Therefore, if anything, the numbers here noted are understated. The year 2009 ranks third most productive for the past eight years (2002: 713, 2003: 950, 2004: 1033, 2005: 1099, 2006: 1216, 2007: 1143, 2008: 899, 2009: 1105). The economy may be down, but apparently trash has no respect for macroeconomics.

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).

In 2009, 1105 individual pieces of repetitive trash were retrieved from the Foxcroft Road, and most of it was recycled. The Tobacco group is, as usual, dominated by Marlboro (32) or 44% of the Tobacco overall, and followed by the problematically named Merit (15), Newport (8) and Parliament (4). Tobacco seems to be able to hold 7% of the cumulative trash numbers over time. The same cannot be said for Marlboro, which has dropped its numbers to the lowest point since 2004. The FDA has recently been given the clearance to regulate tobacco, "America's first cash crop," as a drug. The surgeon general's warning was first mandated in the early 1960's. The justice of the gods grinds exceedingly slow when the power of financial interests exceed common sense and medical knowledge combined.

In the New Age-Soft Drink category, Pepsico and CocaCola (86 vs. 86) came in at a virtual tie. The totals include water sales of Aquafina (6) for Pepsico and Dasani (10) for Coca Cola. The competition here has been especially keen with Pepsico holding a slim lead in five of the last seven years.

The Fast Food group had no less than 23 competitors. 46% of this group, producing 75 pieces of trash, was McDonald's. The closest McDonald's to Middleburg is a 20 to 25 minute drive. Wendy's accounted for 15% (25) of the fast food on the Foxcroft Road. As a group Fast Food has significantly increased market share while accounting for 15% of the total road trash, its best showing in the last seven years.

In the Beer, Wine and Booze category Coor's is the surprise winner, while accounting for 11% individually, whilst Miller/Coor's accounted for 14% of all Foxcroft road trash. Coor's scored an amazing 364% increase over production in 2008. Anheuser-Busch was taken over by the Belgian company InBev in 2008. Currently Anheuser-Busch has fallen from a 15% trash market share to 12%.

Bottled water comes in PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. The usual leader in this category is Deer Park with Refresche (Safeway) second, Dasani (Coke) third and Nestle fourth. In the New Age category, Red Bull (40) represented 49% of the group.

Economists use the term "negative externals" to describe the side effects of transactions where a producer and a consumer benefit whilst a third party, you and me in this instance, loses. Carcinogenic tobacco smoke, driving accidents due to the influence of alcohol, and road trash are negative externals. Sugar-sweetened beverages that contain added sucrose or high fructose corn syrup have been linked to increase risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, "between 1977 and 2002 the per capita intake of caloric beverages doubled in the United States across all age groups." Furthermore the estimated yearly medical costs in the United States for overweight and obesity related diseases are "$147 billion – or 9.1% of U.S. health care expenditures." The authors of the aforementioned reference, K.D. Brownell et al., propose a tax policy that would give the manufacturers of sucrose added beverages an incentive to modify their unenlightened policies. While the legislature raises taxes on corporate parasites, it could also add deposit (not a tax) bill to account for the cost of road side trash removal. No company can be more closely associated with salt, sugar and fat than McDonald's. Supersizing was brought forth upon this country when the board of directors of McDonald's convinced Ray Kroc to increase the size of portions. Kroc's objection was that if people wanted more French fries they could buy two bags. One board member urged Kroc on by saying: "But Ray, they don't want to eat two bags, they don't want to look like a glutton." At least there would also be the unintended consequence of one less bag to end up on the roads, one might hope.

Please note that seven corporations account for 53% of all the trash. The "Slovenly Seven" are: McDonald's, Wendy's, Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Marlboro, Anheuser-Busch (InBev), and Miller/Coor's. You can bet that the "Slovenly Seven" are in Richmond right now lobbying against any possible bottle bill, sugar sweetened bill or any other legislation that might compel them into considering more responsible corporate behavior.