Now that lunch time’s over, just thought we’d share this list of some of the things collected along the shore of Portland’s Back Cove last Saturday.

About 30 people helped with a cleanup organized by the Back Cove Neighborhood Association, Friends of Casco Bay and Portland Trails. They filled a pickup with junk, and later sent us this partial tally:

Two jackets
Two shoes
23 syringes from the southwest cove (near the soccer fields), 10 syringes from the northwest cove
12 bait containers
50-plus cigarette items (filters, packaging, lighters etc)
1 insulin bottle and gauze
6 plastic six-pack holders
Frisbee, rubber ball, golf tee
A tire
3 diapers
A CD player
A traffic cone
Numerous tampon applicators
Various plastic forks, spoons & knives
A $20 bill (play money – unfortunately)

Now, no one who has taken a close look at a Maine beach would be surprised about the bounty of cigarette butts. (Someone ought to invent something for smokers to put their butts in when they’re done with them. You know, like ... AN ASHTRAY.)

But what’s with all the syringes?

This isn’t entirely surprising. We wrote about the syringes and other debris at Back Cove last fall.

The needles seem to be found around places where the city’s combined sewers overflow during rainstorms. If people are flushing hypodermics down a toilet, they could easily end up there along side the beach whistles and the ... shoes? Another possible explanation is that Back Cove just acts like a giant catch basin for western Casco Bay, especially after big storms.

Still, the medical waste is a little unsettling. Years ago, a problem with hypodermic needles washing onto New Jersey beaches (from New York, I should mention) led to beach closures, criminal investigations, big losses for the tourism industry – and a successful multimillion dollar cleanup. With no boardwalk and no bathers, Back Cove doesn’t quite rate.

While on the subject of beach trash, The Ocean Conservancy will be holding its annual International Coastal Cleanup Conference in Portland next week. Those involved with the annual cleanups will come from all over the world to share ideas and information about the marine debris problem.

The Ocean Conservancy’s annual beach cleanups this year will take place Sept. 15. In the meantime, the organization is finalizing its own tally of all the debris collected on Maine beaches last year. Expect lots of cigarette butts.

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