International Coastal Cleanup - Ocean Conservancy

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Oceans can no longer be exploited and neglected. Marine debris kills more than one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles each year. Ocean Conservancy is on a global mission to save the oceans for more than thirty years. Ocean Conservancy envisions a future in which no place on earth is ignored in the fight against debris. The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is a fundamental aspect of this vision.

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Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind. Thousands of volunteers participate from all over the globe, clearing tons of trash from oceans and waterways, and recording every piece of trash collected. Last year, 378,000 volunteers participated from 76 countries and 45 states. Worldwide, volunteers removed an average of 16 pounds of trash, per person.


The volunteers collected and cataloged nearly 2.3 million cigarette butts, filters and cigar tips. And they found 587,827 bags; more than 1.7 million food wrappers, containers, lids, cups, plates and eating utensils; and nearly 1.2 million bottles and beverage cans on September 15, 2007. 81 birds, 63 fish, 49 invertebrates, 30 mammals, 11 reptiles, and one amphibian were found entangled in debris during the cleanup.


8,321 divers took part in underwater cleanup efforts and cleaned up 161,513 pounds of debris over 1,000 miles of underwater terrain. An average of 20 pounds of trash collected per diver. 247,099 debris items related to derelict fishing gear were removed during the cleanup. This includes crab/lobster/fish traps, fishing line, fishing lures/light sticks, fishing nets and rope.


"This is a snapshot of one day, one moment in time, but it serves as a powerful reminder of our carelessness and how our disparate and random actions actually have a collective and global impact," Vikki Spruill, president of the Ocean Conservancy said in an interview.

On September 15, 2007 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) was undertaken worldwide. The Cleanup saw an increase in international representation in 2007, with 76 countries holding a cleanup event compared to the 66 who participated in 2006. This year’s cleanup will be held on September 20, 2008..