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TagsSince 1985, over 70,000 volunteers have participated and removed over 3 million pieces of debris from New Jersey's beaches and waterways.
The organization, Clean Ocean Action, has been the driving force behind this campaign and it will hold its 25th annual Spring Beach Sweeps Saturday, April 24.
There will be 69 cleanup sites along the New Jersey Shore from Glen Ridge to Cape May.
For a list of sites and meeting locations, see CleanOceanAction.org.
In 1985, COA launched the region's first Beach Sweeps program to rid beaches of unsightly and harmful debris. COA's Beach Sweeps is one of the longest running cleanups of its kind in the world. The program has grown from 75 people at one site in 1985, to 5,163 volunteers at 115 sites in 2008.
Citizens of all ages join as groups (community, school, business, and organization), families, or individuals. Participants collect and record valuable data about debris, which is presented in annual reports and used to advance federal, state, and local programs to reduce litter.Fish, whales, birds, and other animals often mistake litter for food. As a result, animals get entangled in or ingest items, such as plastic bags, cigarette filters, and fishing line, with deadly results. Cigarette filters mimic fish and have been found in the stomachs of birds and larger fish, blocking and affecting their digestion. Also, the filters are made of plastic fibers and trap carcinogenic chemicals that are introduced into animals' bloodstreams.
Moreover, plastic litter takes a few years to several hundred years to break down, thereby threatening wildlife for decades. Litter in waterways can also foul boat motors and propellers, resulting in costly repairs. Finally, littered beaches can ruin a day at the beach. Garbage slicks and wash-ups close beaches to swimming and are detrimental to tourism and the coastal economy.
– NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
