We participated in the neighborhood trash pick-up in Duke Park today. We concentrated on the ravine area–it’s been awhile since I’ve had to scramble on any non-level surfaces, so it was a reminder that I need to get out and do some more real hiking. It also got me thinking about product branding in terms of trash. For instance, I was surprised to find a container for Maola organic ice cream and a bag from Whole Foods; they seemed incongruous alongside the cans of Coke and Budweiser, McDonald’s bags, and bottles of Colt 45.

It got me thinking about what it says about a brand that it’s unsurprising to find it littered at the side of the road (McDonald’s), or surprising to find it in a park ravine (Maola). I know that McDonald’s (or Budweiser, or Coca-Cola), is not responsible for the actions of its more bone-headed customers. But it seems that, as good corporate citizens, a donation to an organization like Keep Durham Beautiful would go at least some distance towards compensating for the volume of McDonald’s trash that is strewn about the city. Perhaps sponsoring a city-wide trash pick-up day, the way other corporations sponsor “fun runs,” would help foster the impression that they actually give a crap about how many of their customers are irresponsible slobs.