Mr. Trash Wheel Reels In Fans on Reddit

The water wheel that collects refuse in downtown Baltimore is not just cleaning up the Inner Harbor.

Yes, ”Mr. Trash Wheel” has reeled in more than 330 tons of trash in the past 18 months between Piers Five and Six downtown; but he has also gained a boatload of followers online.

The @MrTrashWheel Twitter account has more than 4,000 followers; one of hisYouTube videos raked in over 1 million views; and his “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) was among the most-read posts on Reddit Tuesday afternoon.

Here are some highlights from the three-hour AMA:

What is the largest item you have pulled out of the water?

“I once ate half a tree. Let’s just say Tums didn’t cut it that day.”

Ever pull a dead body from the water?

“It hasn’t happened...yet. I won’t lie to you, it could happen someday. The thought of it gives me nightmares.”

Is there anything you have cleaned up that needed to be reported to law enforcement?

“I didn’t see anything.”

What is the oddest thing you’ve pulled out of the Inner Harbor?
“...a live ball python, a half a gallon of frozen strawberry ice cream and a beer keg.”

What’s the most valuable thing you have found? Like a diamond ring or an Apple watch?

“I did get the deposit for that beer keg I ate last November.”

Do you have any way to differentiate between animals and trash?

“I’m a vegetarian. I also eat incredibly slowly so any animal on my conveyer belt has plenty of time to move before it gets into my clutches.”

How much does it cost to operate Mr. Trash Wheel for a year?

“$130,000.”

The Waterfront Partnership, which oversees the water wheel, has set a goal of having the Baltimore Inner Harbor swimmable by 2020.

Riding the wave of success that Mr. Trash Wheel has had, the partnership has started an online fundraiser for the Canton Water Wheel to help achieve the goal. Throughout his AMA, Mr. Trash Wheel mentioned that what one trash wheel could do alone, multiple trash wheels could do on a larger scale.

“It’s completely possible to have a swimmable/fishable harbor by 2020,” Mr. Trash Wheel said when a Redditer asked whether 2020 was realistic.

He said that support was key and outlined what this looked like: remedying the city’s failing pipe system; incorporating devices like water wheels in areas where trash ends up; and advocating for legislative changes such as bag taxes, bottle deposits and other laws to reduce waste.

• Water Wheel Nets 1 Million YouTube Views
• Baltimore Water Wheel Helps Ball Python Get Home
• Would You Swim in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor?

Baltimore’s water wheel aka “Mr. Trash Wheel” is between Piers Five and Six. Photo Credit: Elizabeth Janney.