The Peru Gazette

Photo provided

Photo provided

Photo provided

PLATTSBURGH, NY, April 14, 2026  – Garrett Monette, alongside seven other volunteers, removed roughly 100 pounds of garbage from the Saranac River Trail cleaning an area from Seltzer Road to behind Clinton Dining Hall on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus. Much of the garbage consisted of single-use plastics, beer bottles, cigarette butts, and numerous other household items. Among the garbage was a pint of bleach that was properly removed and disposed of.

The efforts focused on the shoreline in a successful attempt to limit waste from entering the Saranac River. Even one cigarette butt can pollute an entire gallon of water. A pint of bleach can pollute hundreds of gallons of water. The single-use plastics removed could have leached billions of toxic microplastics into the local Saranac River. Garrett Monette cites that “Through our collective efforts, we helped preserve and protect the Saranac River, protect our community, and help, even if that impact is small, promote safe drinking water for the North Country. Imagine the impact we could have if we all devoted ourselves to protecting our communities, and took actual action. I love the phrase, ‘action not words,’ and it is representative of our efforts here.”

Garrett Monette also runs the local non-partisan community organization Unitary America, which also focuses on such environmentally-focused projects and on encouraging environmental stewardship, among many other programs and initiatives. The cleanup was not associated with his organization. Unitary America is, however, holding a trash cleanup focusing again alongside the Saranac River, on Saturday, May 2^nd, from 9:30 to 3:00, meeting by the footbridge at the end of George Angell Drive in Plattsburgh (at the junction with the Saranac River Trail). All community members and college students alike are welcome.