The Nip Bottle Problem

The Meriden Green isn't the only location in town where nip bottles are found.

Visit #1181, Saturday 23 February 19, 11:35AM-2:25PM, 5.3 miles, <1lb. of litter.
Temps in the low 40's, sunny but clouding up.

Last week the Record Journal reported about a problem with nip bottles being discarded in large numbers at the Meriden Green, and the city's attempt to deal with them.

I regularly find them while collecting litter in Hubbard Park, and even reported about it once.

Today I decided to revisit the issue and document how many nip bottles I found.

It didn't take long.

I left the parking lot and headed west toward the I-691 walkbridge. I walked barely 1/4 mile when I found my first bottle, seen above. But that was the only bottle I found on Saturday.

My other goal was to remove a couple bent over trees on the right side of a short trail leading to West Main Street. The trees suffered damage during this winter's ice storm. I thought a bow saw would easily take care of these two trees-I was wrong.

Sawing was a grueling exercise; the wood was not dry and whatever moisture inside was frozen.

But I'm a stubborn lad and the first tree eventually succumbed to my effort.

The second tree gave me similar grief but met the same fate.

It was while trying to wrestle this tree off the trail that a kind neighbor from across West Main Street had been watching me and came to my aid. Together we quickly dragged the tree away. The kindness of others.

Good to go until the next ice storm.

I turned around and hiked over the highway, up to West Peak, and down the last trail I needed to clear of ice storm damage. It was mostly picking up branches and tossing them aside.

I reached the end of the trail and followed the road around Merimere Reservoir and back to the park. I did not see any Big Foots (Feet? Sasquatches?), despite this warning.

I removed the sticker leaving hikers at great risk.

Returning to the park without finding another nip bottle, I deposited my trash for the week.

But that nip issue-the story doesn't end at Hubbard Park.

When I ride my bike, I often ride north up Yale Avenue, crossing Swain Avenue, past the Kogut property at the corner of Swain and Miller Avenue. The number of nip bottles I see discarded there is laughably staggering, as you dear reader, are about to see.

So later on Saturday I took a bike ride to the spot with a grocery bag to collect all the nip bottles I could find. Well, I waaaay underestimated the problem and quickly filled my bag beyond capacity. What to do?

Litterers to the rescue! I figured if I can find nip bottles among all the other discarded trash on this section of road, I could probably find another bag. I hated to think this way but unfortunately it's true.
And it took mere seconds to hit the "bag jackpot".


I hauled my booty home and took inventory.

That Walgreens bag weighed 8.6lbs. I know what you're thinking: "Hey Pete; what does 8.6lbs. of nip bottles look like in your bathtub?" Funny you should ask!

211 bottles, to be precise. I can't imagine what the Meriden Green looks like.