As I walk along the path, I notice many, many cans and bottles  lying in litter-like form under brush, between tree roots - just about everywhere off the path. The casual visitor will assume that this is human carelessness and disregard for environmental aesthetics. What's more likely is that this is the result of the frequent flooding of the Raritan River. All kinds of material is moved toward the sea during storms. Floating bottles and cans are the easy land deposit. As the river level returns to normal, such flotsam is caught in the growth and remains.  I like to think of it as 'natural' litter. In time, it too shall pass.