Why Ocean Trash is Everyone’s Problem

Trash like this from Bearskin Beach in Rockport, Mass., is commonly collected in both beach and ocean cleanups. Photo: Courtesy of The Rozalia Project

Act Like a Local

Even if you’re vacationing at the beach, treat the surrounding area as if it was your home. Pick up litter, and try to use reusable items instead of single-use or disposable items that might be left behind.

Always dispose of any trash properly, even if you’re in the street away from the beach. Often, misplaced trash runs into the ocean through storm drains or the wind carries it to the water.

Boat Responsibly

If you own a boat, one of the biggest things you can do is properly dispose of all your trash. Not only is it illegal to put plastic material in U.S. waters or anywhere in the ocean, but it’s also unhealthy for the waterways you use.

You can also support environmentally friendly marinas and report any illegal dumping to the U.S. Coast Guard. NOAA suggests using Channel 16 on your VHF marine radio or calling (800) 424-8802 to locate the Sector Office near you.

Give Your Time

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2008 over 183,000 people across the U.S. participated in beach cleanups, removing almost 4 million pounds of debris from more than 9,000 miles of coasts, shorelines and underwater sites. Start with one of these organizations:

• NOAA Marine Debris Program – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration http://www.noaa.gov/, a bureaus of the US Department of Commerce, has instituted a Marine Debris Program that supports national and global efforts to research, prevent and reduce the impacts of marine debris through various projects and partnerships of its own.
• International Coastal Cleanup – Each year, the Ocean Conservancy sponsors the International Coastal Cleanup. Volunteers from around the globe and 55 U.S. states and territories participate, clearing tons of trash from coastlines, rivers and lakes.
• Keep America Beautiful, Inc. – KAB works with businesses, schools, neighborhood groups and local governments to improve our land, waters and built environment, providing programs that help communities reduce, reuse and recycle.
• Marine Debris Solutions – America’s plastics makers are committed to working on the problem of ocean litter. They support efforts to reduce waste, increase recycling and litter prevention programs, and foster regional and global partnerships. This site is dedicated to providing the latest and most substantive information available on the causes and sources of marine debris, and most importantly, to showing what the industry is doing to help find solutions.
• Sea Education Association – Sea Education Association is an internationally recognized leader in undergraduate ocean education. For 40 years and more than one million nautical miles, they have educated students about the world’s oceans through their fully accredited study abroad program, SEA Semester. SEA is based on Cape Cod in the oceanographic research community of Woods Hole, Massachusetts
• GESAMP – As an effort to support marine debris research and prevention, organizations are partnered with the Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP). GESAMP is an advisory committee to the United Nations focused on evaluating the sources, fate and effects of micro-plastics in the global marine environment.
• Operation Clean Sweep – Operation Clean Sweep is an industry created initiative to ensure that resin pellets are properly contained and prevented from entering various waterways. The plastic pellets the program is focused on are the raw materials used to create other plastic products. They are a common debris item and hazardous to marine animals who eat them, but can’t digest them. Because the resin pellets are a pre-consumer good, it is up to the plastics industry to ensure that they are being properly contained and disposed of. OCS has a goal of zero pellet loss and provides education and materials to companies to help make that goal a reality.

Just as the founders of the Rozalia Project have a personal connection to the well-being of the seas, so does every other person on the planet, even if you’ve never visited. The world’s oceans feed millions of people, help regulate the weather, and provide beautiful reminders of the importance of protecting natural resources.

Miller writes it best: “For me, protecting and cleaning the ocean is an ode to my past and hope for the future – to protect all of the creatures the ocean keeps and nourishes from the smallest bit of plankton up to the whales and us people and to keep the pathway to a better life, whether people are going east, west, north or south, clean and clear.”

Editor’s Note: Earth911 partners with many industries, manufacturers and organizations to support its Recycling Directory, the largest in the nation, which is provided to consumers at no cost. The ACC is one of these partners.