Earlier this summer, my daughter and I walked along the shores of Sitka, Alaska, to pick up plastic pollution with 35 other volunteers. We scanned the beach together with a single goal: to make a place we care about cleaner and safer for people and marine life. 

Partners and community members representing all facets of Sitka took time away from their days to clear plastic waste and other trash from this incredible shoreline. I’m grateful I could share this vibrant town and its rich cultural heritage with my family for the 40th International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC).

Community connections and a legacy of service are at the heart of each cleanup. Just as my father sparked my love of marine life, Kathy O’Hara, ICC co-founder, was inspired by her grandfather’s love of the ocean to start the yearly beach cleanup along the Texas Gulf Coast that would eventually become the ICC. 

Tracing the impact of cleanups around the world

From the very beginning, founders Kathy O’Hara and Linda Maraniss knew data was an important part of the process. Over the last 40 years, we’ve evolved from paper cards to Clean Swell®, an app that connects users around the world to Ocean Conservancy’s global marine debris database.

The ICC has blossomed from a handful of volunteers in a few locations to nearly 19 million volunteers around the world conducting cleanups year-round. 

Over the years, I’ve fielded a familiar question: Does cleaning our beaches really make a difference? The answer is a resounding yes. Yet, there are times that test our resolve, like proposed cuts to vital research funding for fisheries and rollbacks on crucial ocean protection laws. In those moments, I remember that not only are we making our local shoreline safer, healthier and more beautiful—we’re also collecting vital data that we publish every year in one of the longest running continuous datasets of ocean debris available. This data helps us identify—and solve—the biggest challenges facing our ocean. 

Thanks to the dedicated Coordinator Network, millions of volunteers and Ocean Conservancy staff, we are able to publish an annual ICC report that is changing mindsets and legislation in favor of cleaner coasts.

Our ICC collection research report, “What The Foam?!”, provided fuel for the introduction of the Farewell to Foam Act, which would phase out single-use plastic foam such as food containers, coolers, and packing peanuts nationwide.

Since 1986, volunteers have counted, collected and removed more than 400 million pounds of plastics and other debris from our coastlines and waterways through the ICC. 

We hope that one day, cleanups will no longer be necessary, but today, we know we are making an immediate difference for our ocean. By finding and removing plastics, protecting rare species like the pocket shark found in the Gulf of Mexico and threatened coastal species like the  Florida manatee, Ocean Conservancy is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to our work.

Small actions can make big ripples

Another aspect of the ICC that keeps me inspired is the stories and connections made between the dedicated Coordinators who manage cleanups throughout the year.

One story that struck a chord with me was about a cleanup where volunteers collected hundreds of cigarette butts. The cleanup coordinator brought those buckets and buckets of cigarette waste to the local city hall—and as a result the city voted to ban smoking on that beach, significantly reducing the number of cigarettes polluting the shoreline. 

A day spent cleaning on the coast ripples out far beyond the beach and the community where the event takes place. I can say with confidence that every piece of plastic, rubber and metal removed helps to build physical evidence, research and public support with measurable benefits for our ocean.

Our work would not be possible without you

I am full of gratitude for each and every person who has cleaned up a local shoreline, waterway or city street; spread the word about a cleanup or recorded their impact in Clean Swell®. 

Whether you attended your first cleanup this year, volunteered for the last 40 or decided to start your own local cleanup, your contribution is deeply appreciated by all of us at Ocean Conservancy. 

We invite you to join a cleanup near you or start one of your own. There are so many ways to support our ocean, and whatever way you choose, we hope you will join us for the next 40 years of impact.