Thousands of Citizens Fall for NJ’s Beach Sweeps

Nearly 6000 volunteers gathered on Saturday, October 26, 2019 from 9:00am – 12:30pm at over 60 New Jersey beaches and waterways to remove harmful debris at COA’s 34th Annual Fall Beach Sweeps. Enthusiastic volunteers spent the day cleaning, collecting and tabulating debris that they removed from shorelines from Bergen to Cape May Counties. The data produced from this event is combined with the data from the Spring Beach Sweeps that was held on April 13, 2019, and will be published in an annual report that provides a deeper exploration into the pollution issues throughout the Jersey Shore. The 2019 Annual Beach Sweeps Report will be released in April 2020, prior to the 35th Annual Spring Beach Sweep that will be held on Saturday, April 25. To view Annual Reports from previous years, visit CleanOceanAction.org.

Raritan Valley Community College Environmental Club

Throughout Beach Sweeps, volunteers are encouraged to note any out-of-the-ordinary finds. COA labels these finds as “The Roster of the Ridiculous”. Some of the items catalogued included: a baby bottle top, bike helmet, bike lock, bra strap, butter container, car seat, dental retainer, hard hat, 3 plastic Adirondack chairs, Juul pods, men’s deodorant, Nerf gun darts, lip gloss, railroad tie, sneaker, snowman doll, spray paint can, soy sauce packets, squid toy, swim goggles, tire, weed whacker string, white roses, and a Wonder Woman figurine. The most surprising item found during the Beach Sweeps was an engagement ring lost two years ago on the beach that was returned to the owner following the Sweep!

Middlesex County College at the Raritan Waterfront Beach Sweep in South Amboy, NJ

With gratitude, Clean Ocean Action thanks Absolut Vodka, Bank of America, Comcast, and ShopRite for their 2019 Beach Sweeps Statewide Sponsorships. The Fall Beach Sweeps are made possible by many generous supporters.

Waves of thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers, from the small to the tall, who participated in the Beach Sweeps! Together we can all make a difference for a cleaner ocean to be enjoyed by generations to come simply by picking up litter whenever and wherever we see it. For example, a piece of debris found on a central or northern New Jersey street can travel downstream and eventually end-up in the ocean.

Volunteer with completed data card at the Spring Lake Beach Sweeps

Special Thanks:
2019 County Sponsors: Caesars Entertainment, Enterprise, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Hackensack Meridian Health, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Jersey Central Power & Light, Kohl’s, Montecalvo Material Recovery Facility

2019 Site Sponsors: Bank of America, Baine Contracting, ComcastCares, OceanFirst Bank, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), SERVPro of Eatontown and Long Branch, ServPro of Howell/Wall, Torcon, Inc.

2019 Supporting Businesses: Asbury Park Roastery, Atlantic Bagel Co., Bookserdoo, Coffee Surf Co, D’Alessio’s Bagel Express, Jersey Shore Coffee Roasters, L.P., NuStar Energy, Ricoh USA, Rotary Club Interact, Water Witch Coffee

Mount Saint Mary at the Cliffwood Beach Sweeps Site