Ocean Conservancy Activates Global Volunteer Network for 24th Annual International Coastal Cleanup: Goal is Ending Marine Debris

Trash is one of the most widespread pollution problems threatening our ocean and waterways and it's entirely preventable.

September 19, 2009

Washington, DC — Today, Ocean Conservancy and hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the world are hitting their local beaches, lakes, rivers and waterways for the 24th annual International Coastal Cleanup - the largest volunteer effort of its kind. Participants spend a few hours removing trash and debris from coastlines, keeping track of every piece of trash they find. Ocean Conservancy uses that data to produce the world's only annual country-by-country, state-by-state index of the problem of marine debris. The report is shared with the public, industry, and government officials as we work together to find solutions to the problem of marine debris.

"Trash littering our beaches and choking our ecosystems is a threat to wildlife, our coastal economies, and ultimately to the ability of the ocean to sustain us," said Vikki Spruill President and CEO of Ocean Conservancy. "The Cleanup gives everyone a chance to work in their backyards and be a part of this special movement to protect our ocean. Trash doesn't fall from the sky, it falls from our hands, and what falls from human hands can be prevented."

During the 2008 Cleanup, nearly 400,000 volunteers removed 6.8 million pounds of debris from 6,485 sites in 100 countries and 42 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Volunteers found 443 animals entangled or trapped by marine debris, of those, 268 were found alive and released. Ocean Conservancy report; A Rising Tide of Ocean Debris And What We Can Do About It, including the 2008 Marine Debris Index, provides a roadmap for eliminating marine debris altogether by reducing it at the source, changing behaviors that cause it, and supporting better policy.

"Our corporate and government partners are working alongside divers, boaters, surfers, and coastal residents from Nebraska to New Zealand - to make our ocean, lakes and rivers safer, and gather important data on what is trashing our waters," said Dianne Sherman, Director of the International Coastal Cleanup. "The Cleanup is just the beginning, we use the information collected to identify sources of the trash and advance solutions for preventing marine debris in the first place."

Armed with knowledge about the most prevalent components of marine debris, elected officials can make informed policy decisions, community leaders can tailor and expand recycling and other trash-reduction programs, corporate decision makers can improve technology and reduce packaging, and individuals can recycle, reuse, or properly dispose of trash to keep these items out of the ocean in the first place.

Coca-Cola has been supporting the International Coastal Cleanup since 1995 and has been the lead sponsor since 2005, raising awareness of the issue of marine debris and the personal responsibility we all share in solving the problem. In 2008, Coca-Cola activated a network of over 50,000 employees and associates in 35 countries to help clear beaches and waterways of debris. As part of its $20 billion, 10-year initiative to address climate change, Bank of America has supported the International Coastal Cleanup for the past several years, with thousands of associates participating in Cleanup events across the United States and around the world. Other national sponsors include Booz Allen Hamilton; The Dow Chemical Company; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Philip Morris USA, an Altria Company; and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Editors Note: This year, Ocean Conservancy is teaming up with Aurora Select, a global network of professional photographers to document volunteers around the world as they participate in the International Coastal Cleanup. Photos from over 20 sites including Thailand, Greece, Japan, South Africa, and throughout the U.S. including Washington D.C., Florida, Texas and Hawaii will be available for media use starting on the morning of September 19th and updated as photos are received throughout the day. Visit: www.oceanconservancy.org/iccmedia to access the photos, graphics and to download A Rising Tide of Ocean Debris and What We Can Do About It.

Ocean Conservancy is the world's foremost advocate for the oceans. Through science-based advocacy, research, and public education, we inform, inspire and empower people to speak and act for the oceans. Ocean Conservancy is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific, with support from more than half a million members and volunteers.