It's shoreline cleanup time: are you ready?

September 14th, 2011

It’s shoreline cleanup time all over the world. This is an opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to get together and help your local shoreline as part of a massive international effort.

On the week of September 17th, Ocean Conservancy, with help from local and national bodies will host the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). This annual event includes over 100 countries and is the world’s largest volunteer effort to clean the marine environment and collect environmental data from the oceans and land.

Lots of trash – and many cleaning hands

And we’re talking about a LOT of trash. In 2010, over 6 million people around the world removed more than 8 million pounds of debris from 5,438 coastal, shoreline, and underwater sites. Of the 9.8 million debris items collected worldwide, nearly 80 percent was considered disposable (plastic beverage bottles, plastic bags, food wrappers etc) or smoking related (cigarettes and filters). For more information about the 2010 cleanup, you can read the 2011 ICC Report.

Trash and debris pose hazards for humans and wildlife

No matter where you are, shoreline trash is a blight on the landscape. It looks bad and nobody wants to visit areas covered in trash so businesses can suffer and economies can be hit as a result. For wildlife, that carelessly-tossed waste is deadly. The NOAA estimates 100,000 turtles and marine mammals are killed by marine debris every year.

The coastal and shoreline cleanup is your opportunity to meet local volunteers and play a part in an important international initiative. And it’s not all serious business. Individuals, families, and groups can take part and have a fun day out.

How to get involved

See Ocean Conservancy for further information on the event and how you can get involved

In Canada – Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

Divers – Project Aware has organized the Debris Month of Action in September. You can join or organize a cleanup dive.