News Room Trash Free Seas: International Coastal Cleanup

Ocean trash is one of the most widespread problems threatening our ocean and waterways. Trash in the water can impact human health: sharp items can cut beachgoers, batteries, car parts, and 55-gallon chemical drums may leak toxic compounds. Trash threatens wildlife as well. Even the mightiest whale can drown when entangled in old rope or fishing nets, and many fish, birds, and animals eat trash they mistake for food. The result? Choking, as well as slow starvation from a false sense of satiation. Ocean trash chokes coastal economies as well, deterring tourist visits and causing enormous cleanup bills. Our vision is of Trash Free Seas – from product design to disposal, we all have a role to play in keeping our ocean clean free of trash. The annual International Coastal Cleanup last September marked 25 years of volunteers making our ocean and waterways cleaner, and collecting data that provide the only global snapshot of this problem. If you can think of it, volunteers have found it on shorelines and waterways – from cigarette butts and plastic bags, to waste from industry and abandoned fishing gear. This year we are offering 25 years of global snapshots of trash in the ocean to illustrate the problem and show people working together to find solutions.

Medit Kit Assets