| International Coastal Cleanup |
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CHARLOTTE COUNTY 2010 COASTAL CLEANUP Sponsored By KEEP CHARLOTTE BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2010 8 A.M. to Noon Supply pickup and organizational meeting on September 13, 2010 at 6:00 PM at the Environmental Campus, 25550 Harbor View Road Port Charlotte Help clear the trash from our beaches and waterways! Join hundreds of thousands of volunteers September 14th for the International Coastal Cleanup. We have volunteers in all 43 U.S. States and District of Columbia and 104 countries and Locations (Islands). The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is the largest beach and waterway cleanup program with data collection in the world. Volunteers from around the globe and participate each year—clearing tons of trash from coastlines, rivers and lakes. Take action to improve the health of our oceans and waterways—anyone can participate in the International Coastal Cleanup. Reasons to participate: Save the lives of innocent marine wildlife by removing debris that can be deadly **** Help make our oceans and waterways safe for swimming, fishing and drinking **** Share a special day with family, friends and co-workers **** Contribute to marine debris research by filling out your datacard **** Raise awareness of the problem of pollution **** The first 500 people who sign up to be a volunteer will receive a free Coastal Cleanup t-shirt. Call Keep Charlotte Beautiful at 764-4390 for more information. |
| Volunteers Removed Seven Million Pounds of Trash from the Ocean, Lakes, Rivers and Waterways in the World’s Only Country-by-Country, State-by-State Analysis of Marine Debris. This Report provides a roadmap for eliminating marine debris altogether by reducing it at the source, changing behaviors that cause it, and supporting debris prevention policies. |
| 2008 International Coastal Cleanup, by the numbers: 104 countries and locations participated in the Cleanup, a more than 30 percent jump in the number over 2007 About half of the 390,881 volunteers were from the U.S; the Philippines, Canada and Japan had the greatest volunteer turnout internationally. 443 animals were found entangled or trapped by marine debris, of those, 268 were found alive and released. Volunteers removed 6.8 million pounds of debris the weight of 18 blue whales. Volunteers collected 11.4 million items in all, from cigarette butts to grocery bags to food wrappers. Volunteers tracked 43 items during the Cleanup; the top three most frequently found items were cigarette butts, plastic bags, and food wrappers/containers. The Top 10 items have remained the same over the past five years. Volunteers collected 1,362,741 cigarette butts in the United States; 19,504 fishing nets in the United Kingdom; and 11,077 diapers in the Philippines information that can help planners at the local, regional, national, and international levels tackle specific marine debris problems. Our report shows the same percentage and types of items found along the ocean were found in inland waterway cleanups. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 50 percent of marine debris starts out on land, reinforcing the land-sea connections we all share. |
| Click Here for the Marine Debris Snapshot |