Photograph: © SAF
Excerpts, by Ocean Conservancy
Over the past 25 years Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup has become the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean health.
Nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries and locations have cleaned 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers, and the ocean on just one day each year.
They have recorded every item found, giving us a clear picture of the manufactured items impacting the health of humans, wildlife, and economies. As our 2011 report demonstrates, the body of data from the International Coastal Cleanup has inspired action to rid the ocean of harmful trash…
The top five types of trash found were cigarettes, beverage lids, plastic bottles, plastic bags and food containers…
“Ocean trash is human-generated, preventable and one of the biggest threats to our ocean and waterways…”
Read The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup 2011 Report, ICC
Photograph: © SAF
Coastal cleanup efforts nets 9M pounds of garbage, AP
Volunteers around the world collected nearly 9 million pounds of cigarettes, bottles and other trash during a coastal cleanup campaign last year. “Ocean trash is human-generated, preventable and one of the biggest threats to our ocean and waterways.” Ocean Conservancy CEO Vikki Spruill said in a statement, people should take responsibility for their trash by discarding it properly and using reusable bags and containers…”
Ocean Conservancy
“All year long, organizations and individuals across the globe take part in Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup to remove trash and debris from the world’s beaches and waterways, identify the sources of that debris, and change the behaviors that allow it to reach the ocean in the first place…”
Trash Free Seas, The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup
