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Beach Cleanup Near Me

Beach Cleanup Activities - Start A Beach Cleanup Today!

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Beach cleanups are vital to protecting marine ecosystems because they remove plastic debris before it has the chance to wash out to sea and harm wildlife. As a beach cleanup volunteer, you’re contributing to the sustainability of our planet.

What do you wear to a beach clean up

By joining a cleanup, you’re contributing to the sustainability of our planet.

  • Rain Gear, shoes and something warm.

  • Trash bags & Recycling Bags

  • Gloves

  • Hand Sanitizer

  • Drinking-Water to Stay Hydrated (Reusable Bottle)

  • Sunblock or Sunscreen

How do I join ocean cleanup

What do you wear to a beach clean up

1

Litters & Debris

Even Small Bits, Animals can mistake them for food

2

Recyclables

like glass, aluminum cans, tin cans, plastic drinking bottles

3

Trash

plastics, metals, glass, styrofoam, foil wrappers, cloth, cardboard, paper, leftover food or food waste

4

Microplastics

A. By technical definition, microplastics are about the size of sesame seeds.
B. They often come from larger plastics that break down into smaller and smaller pieces.
C. Common sources of microplastics are plastic containers and bottles, bottle caps and lids, packaging, ropes, and
ghost nets.
D. Microplastics can be found along the beach on the high tide mark, since floating debris is often left behind by the high tide. 
5

Leave No Trace

Gloves, cleaning supplies, and anything
you brought with you; leave nothing behind but your footprints!

Cleanup Best Practices

  • Split recyclables and trash into separate bags
  • Tie trash bags and dispose in dumpsters (beware overflowing bins: they can cause items to fly away and end up back in the water)
  • Don’t pick up weapons or anything that looks like it came from a hospital. Mark questionable items and inform your organizer or the lifeguard. 
  • If it occurs naturally in nature — like kelp, shells, driftwood — leave it be (try not disrupt animals and plants in the area)
  • Know your cleanup zone boundaries and meeting times 
  • Take note of the nearest lifeguard station and know what to do in case of an emergency
Create-a-Cleanup

Volunteer With a Friend!

Volunteer

Trying to convince a friend to join you in a cleanup? Here are a few reasons why we should all care about the health of our waters:

  • The ocean provides over 70% of the oxygen we breathe
  • Rivers and oceans are important sources of food
  • Seaweed is an ingredient in many consumer products and captures carbon from our atmosphere
  • Scientists use marine organisms for lifesaving medicines 

If we keep our waters healthy, we can keep our livelihoods and economies thriving, protect wildlife, enjoy water recreation, and build a brighter future for generations to come.

Why Pick Up Plastics and Microplastics?

Look Out for Wildlife

As you explore the cleanup zone, enjoy the nature around you, but try not to disrupt the animals and plants. They're enjoying a beach day too! If you find an injured animal, contact your nearest wildlife agency.

Microplastics occur when the sun breaks down plastic debris into smaller and smaller fragments that never fully biodegrade. Animals often mistake plastics and microplastics for food and can get entangled, injured, gravely sick, or wash ashore. When animals that ingest — but can’t digest — these microplastics are eaten, the plastic moves up the food chain, potentially into our food.

Thank you for keeping our ocean blue.

"Beach cleanups are vital to protecting marine ecosystems because they remove plastic debris before it has the chance to break into smaller fragments that washout to sea and harm wildlife. By joining a cleanup, you’re contributing to the sustainability of our planet."

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