Coastal Cleanup

by Michele Capots

The sun is shining, the water is glistening: it’s a beautiful day on the lake. Or it is until you blow by a circle of trash floating in the water. Litter changes things, alters the scenery, especially for boaters who have a unique relationship with the water. Boaters see the debris up close and experience it first hand, and, thus, have a vested interest in the solution.

Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup provides a solution to the hazardous effects of trash in the water. It is the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind, and last year 378,000 volunteers in 76 countries removed six million pounds of trash. These efforts are vital to the health of our waterways.

Careless acts are affecting the health of our waterways and the ecosystems that rely on them. Trash in the ocean kills more than one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles each year through ingestion and entanglement. Reducing water pollution begins long before you step foot on the beach or dock.

A candy wrapper thrown on a city street in Lincoln, Nebraska that finds its way to a storm drain or river will ultimately reach the ocean. That’s why the International Coastal Cleanup is more than a one-day event—it’s a global movement. It’s a change in behavior that happens far inland. It’s the opportunity to make a difference in your own backyard and have a global impact at the same time.

The International Coastal Cleanup began 23 years ago with one woman walking along a Texas beach. Appalled by the amount of trash she saw, she orchestrated a beach cleanup. Within two hours, 2,800 Texans had removed 124 tons of trash from 122 miles of coastline. Since then, her vision has become a worldwide movement.

“Now more than ever, people are concerned about the environment and have an understanding of the increasing threats to our ocean,” said Laura Burton Capps, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Communications. “With that understanding is a hunger to be a part of the solution and contribute to a better future. Everyone has a personal responsibility to contribute to the ocean’s health. After all, trash doesn’t fall from the sky, it falls from our hands.”

Boaters, water enthusiasts, divers, parents, beachgoers, children, families—all are directly affected by trash. We notice it in the water, in parking lots, on city streets, and it’s harming our wildlife and polluting our ocean.

And it’s preventable.

Trash in the water is more than an eyesore; for boaters, it can be detrimental. For example, plastic bags floating in the water are dangerous if they enter the engine and cause it to overheat. On top of being an expensive repair, the boat will need to be towed. When the anchor gets caught in debris, it can be a nuisance for boaters; and jumping in for a swim is less attractive when you’re witnessing trash floating by. These experiences bring home first-hand the impact of our actions. The ocean is essential to the health of everything on the planet, including ourselves. It provides much of the air we breathe and absorbs over a third of the greenhouse gases we produce. Fundamentally, the ocean is the life support system for our planet.

But unless it is healthy and resilient, it can’t protect us. Abundant wildlife, protected ecosystems and sustainable fisheries are key to a strong web of life in the ocean. Harmful impacts are exacting a toll we can no longer afford to pay— overfishing, marine debris, pollutants, habitat destruction and global climate change. Two or more degrees of warming will devastate coastal communities, kill the world’s coral reefs and result in mass extinctions of marine organisms. Our ocean is sick. But there are things we can do both in our daily life and our boating life. Even the smallest strides make a world of difference.

The majority of trash in the ocean comes from land-based activities and careless behaviors. Following a few simple guidelines can go a long way.

• When you drop something, pick it up.
• At the grocery store, commit to reusable bags that are better for the environment.
• Recycle not just bottles and cans, but also newspapers, magazines, cereal boxes and other household items and electronics.
• When dining, ask for sustainable seafood options at restaurants and markets. Your voice may be the most valuable tool for improving conservation. Restaurant managers can help be a part of the solution by supporting responsible fishing.

While on the water, boaters can make a few simple adjustments to help the health of our waters.

• Minimize the amount of disposables you take out with you. For example, instead of five packets of cookies, provide one packet in a plastic container. It is best to look for reusable packaging.
• Have onboard a sturdy trash can with a lid that’s fastened to the boat.
• Make it a rule that nothing—not even peach pits, apple cores or banana peels—goes overboard. It’s not fish food.
• Use a separate container for all of your recyclables, plastic bottles, cans, etc.

They may seem minor, but these actions contribute to the health of the ocean.

A unique component to the Cleanup is data collection, which helps identify the behaviors that cause our pollution problem in the first place. Volunteers comb the beaches and waterways while filling in a data card, recording every piece of trash collected. This information is then sent back to the Ocean Conservancy, where it is used to produce an annual report that includes data available nowhere else.

The 2007 report showed that 57 percent of all trash was from shoreline recreational activities, 33 percent was from smoking-related activities, two percent was from dumping and less than one percent was from medical and personal hygiene activities.

This report serves as a snapshot of one day, one moment in time. It is a valuable tool when educating the public about the hazardous effects of trash in the ocean and can also be used to educate business, industry and government officials.

“This has been a longstanding situation that has made an impact on marine debris,” said Susan Shingledecker, Director of Environmental Programs, BoatUS Foundation. “The International Coastal Cleanup has a network around the world for boaters to plug into. The International Coastal Cleanup can only benefit and grow from boater involvement.”

This year’s International Coastal Cleanup will be held throughout the world on Saturday, September 20. To register, visit coastalcleanup.org.