EARTH DAY Spirits not Dampened at the 32nd Annual Beach Sweeps!

EARTH DAY Spirits not Dampened! 

Sweeping Success as Thousands Hit the Jersey Shore Beaches

Coastal New Jersey —Most of the earth is ocean, so it makes perfect sense for thousands to flock to the Jersey Shore to help improve and protect that which brings so much joy year round.   Rather than bathing suits and flip-flops, thousands of beach goers donned gloves and work shoes for Clean Ocean Action’s (COA) 32nd Annual Beach Sweeps at over 60 Jersey Shore sites from Middlesex to Cape May County. Dedicated volunteers spent the day cleaning, collecting and calculating the debris removed from each site.  More and more of the state is participating with sites along the Delaware and in Essex County joining in.  For complete list of locations click here.  For photos for use from Beach Sweeps locations statewide visit Clean Ocean Action’s Facebook page here.

The data produced from this event is publicized in an annual report that provides evidence about the type and quantity of debris found along beaches which is used to educate and motivate for solutions to marine pollution.

“The Beach Sweeps never cease to amaze me! Volunteers from the tall and the small to the young and the old, are an inspiration for us to continue to do what we do. COA’s daily work is to provide and protect our oceans, bays, waterways and beaches,” said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director of Clean Ocean Action. “Volunteers from schools, churches, businesses, organizations, corporations and teams continue to get ‘down and dirty’ to rid our beaches of the litter that has accumulated all winter. This year was no different! Volunteers are even resolved to make personal changes in their daily lives in order to reduce ocean pollution. In a perfect world we wouldn’t need to come back for Beach Sweeps in the fall but until that happens, we will see you in October and remember to pick up debris on every trip to the beach.”

 

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr, (6^th District) greeted the crowd of 1000 at Sandy Hook saying “What you are doing is so important.  The work you do here today has a real impact and has led to the passage of laws such as the Microbead Ban Act which goes into effect this year.”

Valerie Montecalvo, President, of Bayshore Recycling Family of Companies reminded everyone that it was 30 years ago that Governor Tom Kean signed the NJ Mandatory Recycling Act.  “NJ is the nation’s #1 recycler, but we need to do more.” Debris removed by volunteers at Sandy Hook was sorted at Bayshore Recycling Family of Companies to maximize recycling opportunities.

“Seeing the community come together in order to better the environment is truly a beautiful thing,” said Amy Arietta, Program and Administrative Coordinator. “This event is a chance for the general public to become a part of something much larger than themselves. Individuals are scientists for the day as they assist COA in collecting data that will eventually be utilized for scientific purposes. Beach Sweeps is a volunteer driven event – they are the beating heart of our program.”

  

“I've loved seeing so many people show up to the Beach Sweeps ready to make a change. What we are doing today is so important.” – Sierra Byrne, Sandy Hook Beach Sweep Coordinator with Marine Academy of Science and Technology.

Zoe Sucato, also of the Marine Academy of Science and Technology, said, “It is so important to stop plastic pollution in the ocean.  Sea cucumbers are amazing squishy creatures and they eat bits of plastic and it is killing them.  All marine life is threatened by plastic and we need to stop this cycle.”

COA Beach Captains are the champions.  They engage with the local community and direct the hub of volunteers and individual participants at their location. These captains lead the cleanup effort at each site and are an indispensable part to which we owe the overall success of the program.

Selected totals from Sandy Hook included: Plastic Pieces- 9,675; Bottle Caps- 7,074; Straws- 3,041; Candy Wrappers- 6,854; Syringes- 51; Balloons- 180; Foam pieces- 4,621; Plastic beverage bottles- 1,406; Glass bottles- 426.

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 today included: license plate, baby car seat, scarecrow, bag of drugs, stuffed toy bunny, bird cage, charred bar stool.

With gratitude, Clean Ocean Action thanks: AVEDA, Bank of America, Comcast, KOHL’s, OceanFirst Foundation and ShopRite for their 2017 Beach Sweeps Statewide Sponsorship. The Spring Beach Sweeps are made possible by support from many generous sponsors.

“Wakefern Food Corp/ShopRite is pleased with our 15+ year partnership with Clean Ocean Action (COA). As an environmentally and community oriented business, ShopRite respects when an organization can bring about effective change by involving more and more community member volunteers each year.  The COA Beach Sweeps event brings about the improvement of an important ecological habitat, and when groups of like-minded people come together to solve a problem or improve their environment, they can make a difference and accomplish what an individual could not do alone.  We are proud to be a part of it!” Suzanne Forbes, Corporate Communications, Environmental Affairs Administrator, Wakefern Food Corporation.

“At Aveda, we care for the world we live in.  Every April we celebrate Earth Month and for the mast 8 years we have been focused on clean water projects around the world, to date we have raised $38 million. Together in partnership with Clean Ocean Action they help us educate our Salon network, Experience Centers and guests on how they can take an active for protecting our water locally,” said Eva Van Anglen with Aveda. “We’re really excited to clean up the beach, we constantly strive to live by Aveda’s mission and it’s a reminder about how important the environment is. It is Earth Day every day for us.”

For review the results from the most recent and previous Beach Sweeps, visit cleanoceanaction.org.

Brushing with Beads

A daily ritual that cleans your teeth and keeps your breath fresh could be wreaking havoc on our waterways and ocean. Toothpaste and other products have started popping-up on store shelves containing microbeads, minuscule polyethylene ‘plastic’ beads. These beads are being advertised as exfoliants in skin care products. In the case of toothpaste they are used as an abrasive.

The problem is these plastic microbeads found in toothpaste do not dissolve before, during, or after their use. This can cause serious problems to your health, and our waterways. The health risks are due to the fact that a portion of the microbeads remains within the mouth and can become embedded underneath the gum line. Dentists around the country began to worry that these beads were causing more harm than good. During patient visits, dentists and hygienists found the microbeads stuck in crevices between the teeth and gums. This raised concerns because the beads could trap bacteria in the gums leading to gingivitis, and possibly overtime cause periodontal disease.

These beads are also polluting our waterways. Every time you brush your teeth, these tiny beads go down the drain and travel through sewers to a wastewater treatment plant. Due to their microscopic size, microbeads are far too small to be filtered by wastewater treatment facilities and as a result are discharged into waterways. A report released by the New York Attorney General’s office estimates that the state of New York discharges 19 tons of microbeads into its waterways annually!

This pollution caught the attention of advocacy groups and scientists, who have raised these concerns to elected officials. States, including New Jersey, began to tackle the issue by passing laws regulating microbeads. Federally, New Jersey’s Congressman Frank Pallone introduced the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, which prohibits the sale or distribution of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads. This bill quickly passed the House of Representatives, unanimously passed the Senate, and was recently signed into law by President Obama in December 2015!

Although microbeads are banned for the future, products containing microbeads will remain on the shelf until 2017. Until then it is up to you to be a conscious shopper. Read the ingredients list on the box carefully, if you see polyethylene or polypropylene on the list of ingredients it means that product contains microbeads. Luckily, there are plenty of other natural alternatives to keep your breath fresh, your teeth white, and your waterways healthy. Happy brushing! 

COA Dives Deep into the Plastic Problem

Beach Sweeps Captains, agency officials, environmental leaders, business representatives, and students gathered at COA’s Debris Sea Free Conference to discuss issues and solutions to plastic pollution that threatens our coasts.  The full day conference, which was open to the public, delved into various topics starting with an overview of the current state of marine debris by the renowned Joan Leary Matthews, Director of the Clean Water Division of the U. S. EPA (Region 2).

Throughout the day, guests enjoyed discussions and workshops, including single use solutions, biodegradable plastics, and the social science behind why people litter.  This event was in recognition of 30 successful years of the Beach Sweeps program, all its volunteers, and the data compiled at over 70 locations.

During COA’s Beach Sweeps every volunteer becomes a ‘citizen scientist’ as they record each piece of debris collected.  The data collection turns a one-day event into a legacy of information that is used to identify sources of pollution and monitor trends.  Clean Ocean Action has been honored to partner with Bloomberg LP to thoroughly analyze the Beach Sweeps’ data set.  These records were revealed at the conference unveiling the extensive evaluation of more than twenty years of data.  This information will help to accurately monitor trends linking them with various legislation, consumerism, weather events, and industry changes.

The attendees admired creative marine debris community art mosaics designed by local artists and volunteers.  The large panels created an interesting thought-provoking visual display of “trash into treasure” as participants entered into the main area of the conference.

Over 150 conference guests were treated to breakfast, lunch and a wrap-up reception highlighting the most valuable resource of the Beach Sweeps – our volunteer Beach Captains.  COA thanks all the Captains and volunteers over the years, as well as the talented and experienced workshop panelists, plenary moderators and speakers at the Debris Free Sea Conference.