You would have to be a pretty confident Trash Wheel to allow an entire community to sift through your garbage, but that is exactly what Baltimore’s beloved Mr. Trash Wheel is allowing — nay, inviting — volunteers to do this Saturday, Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. He has opened up to Baltimore Fishbowl to talk about it.At the Mr. Trash Wheel Dumpster Dive to Support Bottle Bill Legislation, not only will participants paw through the contents of Mr. Trash Wheel’s debris, but they will also help fill a giant metal rockfish sculpture with plastic bottles and other trash to symbolize the harmful effects of plastic on our local waterways.The project is the result of a partnership between Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative and Baltimore Community ToolBank. The goal is to analyze the contents to produce important data that bolsters local environmental advocacy efforts. Past efforts have included legislative changes like the plastic bag bans and polystyrene foam bans. In 2025, environmental advocates hope the data will increase support for a statewide bottle deposit bill.We here at Baltimore Fishbowl are all in favor of healthy water and the like, but as serious journalists, we have many hard-hitting questions surrounding this grimy get-together. For example, what is the attire for a dumpster dive? Is it trash can casual? Sewage cocktail? Are googly eyes encouraged or required?Mr. Trash Wheel. Photo by Chesapeake Bay Program, via FlickrOther questions are of a more sensitive nature, like, does anyone in the Trash Wheel Family have anything to hide? Are they ever told to stay out of politics regarding these legislative efforts? Do random strangers walk by and yell at any of the Trash Wheels, “Shut up and Filter!”?Thankfully, this reporter has answers.Contrary to experiencing the Mr. Trash Wheel Dumpster Dive as an invasion of privacy, Mr. Trash Wheel is deeply moved.“It brings a tear to my googly eyes knowing that people find my innards so riveting,” Mr. Wheel wrote via Adam Lindquist, vice president of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore.Toward those who dare judge him for dipping his toes into political waters, Mr. Trash Wheel took a defiant, yet playful tone.“Politics is a dirty game, so I’d say that I’m perfectly suited for it,” Mr. Wheel wrote. “Talking trash is basically all I do!”Is that a challenge?Finally, though, Fishbowl broke through the tough veneer to Mr. Trash Wheel’s sensitive side, getting him to bravely address the personal when talking about having strangers paw through his garbage.“I’m scared they will judge me when they see all of my empty boxes of Royal Farms chicken. Burp!” he admitted.It’s alright, Mr. Trash Wheel. We’ve all been there. Right, Justin Tucker?The Mr. Trash Wheel Dumpster Dive to Support Bottle Bill Legislation will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Baltimore Community ToolBank, located at 1224 Wicomico Street, Baltimore, MD.For more information and to register, click this link.2023 Mr. Trash Wheel Dumpster Dive. Photo courtesy of Waterfront Partnership.