2011 Beach Sweep Report
In 2011, 7,575 volunteers collected, tallied, and removed over 452, 698 pieces of debris from NJ's shoreline during Clean Ocean Action's 26th Annual Beach Sweeps. The majority of the debris removed was disposable plastics - items designated to be used once and thrown away. Plastic, including foam, represents 83% of the total waste found in 2011. It is clear: disposable plastic items continue to litter beaches, threaten marine life, and impact water quality. The 2011 data marks the first year in Beach Sweeps history that cigarettes have not been one of the three most common items of debris collected during the bi-annual event.
