Thousands of volunteers from the small to the tall and hundreds of groups, organizations, schools, scout troops, and businesses and municipalities will participate in Clean Ocean Action’s 39th Bi-Annual Spring Beach Sweeps event at more than 80 New Jersey locations on Saturday, April 13, 2024.
From 9 am to 12:30 pm, volunteers will remove litter from beaches and collect valuable data about the debris in a coordinated cleanup event up and down the New Jersey Shore come rain or shine.
The goal of the Beach Sweeps is to reduce and eliminate sources of litter.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome to participate in the Beach Sweep but children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Only registered volunteers can participate.
“COA’s Sweeps remove harmful litter from the environment and, most importantly, collect evidence of the pollution problem. Litter is lethal to marine life and can ruin an otherwise wonderful day at the beach,” said COA’s Executive Director Cindy Zipf. “Our goal is to reduce sources of litter and to eliminate the need for Beach Sweeps in the future.”
The Beach Sweeps events are more than people picking up trash from beaches. This program builds community support for solutions and it raises awareness about the negative impacts of litter on wildlife and the ocean.
“Plastic pollution, and the accumulation of plastic particles in the environment, can harm humans, wildlife, and their habitats,” said New Jersey environmentalist Lisa McCormick, who is advocating participation in the volunteer event. “Plastic is the largest and most harmful type of marine litter, making up at least 85% of the total marine waste. About 14 million metric tons of plastic gets into the ocean each year and that is expected to triple in the next 20 years.”
“Picking up trash can be messy and dangerous,” said McCormick. “Be sure to wear thick gloves like those used for gardening and construction throughout the entire cleanup to protect yourself from things like glass.”
Plastic debris includes bottles, straws, containers, plastic wraps, and other synthetic or semi-synthetic materials made from polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyester.
In the ocean, plastic pollution hurts sea turtles, whales, seabirds, fish, coral reefs, and countless other marine species and habitats. Scientists estimate that more than half of the world’s sea turtles and nearly every seabird on Earth have eaten plastic in their lifetimes.
Plastic pollution can choke marine wildlife, damage soil, poison groundwater, cause serious health issues, and contribute to the climate crisis.
Citizens learn about the types and quantities of debris found along the coast and the shorelines of rivers, lakes, and streams.
Most importantly, the data collected during the Beach Sweeps turns a one-day event into a legacy of information to combat litter and other sources of pollution by identifying and monitoring trends.
The information helps find solutions to keep beaches clean and healthy for citizens and marine life. Indeed, the data has been used to help create federal, state, and local programs and laws to reduce litter.
Data from the event is submitted to the Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC, as part of its international database on marine debris and worldwide campaign against ocean pollution.
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