Media Kit
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."
Photos - Coastal Cleanup
Click for full photo. Photos are to be used by members of the press only.
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A family picks up trash on Milnerton Beach, Cape Town, South Africa. |
Beach strewn with trash in Manila, Philippines . |
Volunteers sorting the collected garbage at Nojima Park in Yokohama, Japan. |
Indian volunteers carry a sign - "Be Clean Beach Volunteers" - with them during their cleanup, Chennai, India. |
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Divers remove a tire from the water off of San Juan, Puerto Rico. |
A volunteer clears trash from a beach in Trang Province, Thailand. |
Members of Vida Azul foundation cleaning the beach in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. |
A group of volunteers shows off all the trash they picked up in Athens, Greece. |
Charts and Tables - Data from 2008 Cleanup: Click for Full-Size
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Click for Full-Size Vertical View
Volunteer Profile
John Kieser, South Africa
John logged more than 18,000 miles driving across South Africa last year for Cleanup-related meetings. His dedication to the job of Cleanup Coordinator began while he was working for the South African government, and he has continued the work with boundless enthusiasm since. Cape Town alone produces more that 3.5 million tons of waste annually, he says, and recycling is not yet widespread. "The beaches are in terrible shape from litter," he observes. Read more »
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Visit www.oceanconservancy.org/contactus for regional office addresses and email information.
Printed on , © Copyright 2010 Ocean Conservancy
1300 19th Street, NW,
8th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
800.519.1541
202.429.5609
The Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Action Network are registered trademarks of Ocean Conservancy.
Visit www.oceanconservancy.org/contactus for regional office addresses and email information.
Printed on
, © Copyright 2010 Ocean Conservancy
The Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Action Network are registered trademarks of Ocean Conservancy.
1300 19th Street, NW,
8th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
800.519.1541
202.429.5609