The Problem

Ocean trash affects the health of wildlife, people and local economies

Ocean trash affects the health of wildlife, people and local economies. Trash in the water and on the shore can be mistaken as food by wildlife, or entangle animals with lethal consequences. Plastic also attracts and concentrates other pollutants from surrounding seawater, posing a contamination risk to those species that then eat it. Scientists are studying the impacts of that contamination on fish and shellfish and as well as the possible impact it may have on human health as well.

“Plastics now pollute all dimensions of our ocean from the sea surface to the seafloor, on remote beaches and in Arctic sea ice. The impact ocean plastics have on marine species is well documented, but increasingly scientists are concerned about the potential threat of plastics to species at the top of the marine food chain: humans.”

Nicholas Mallos

Vice President of Conservation, Ocean Plastics, Ocean Conservancy

From plankton to whales, animals across ocean ecosystems have been contaminated by plastic. Plastic has been found in 59% of sea birds like albatross and pelicans, in 100% of sea turtle species, and more than 25% of fish sampled from seafood markets around the world.

Marine debris isn’t an ocean problem—it’s a people problem. That means people are the solution. Ocean Conservancy is committed to keeping our beaches and ocean trash free. For more than 30 years we have organized the International Coastal Cleanup®, where nearly 17 million volunteers from 155 countries have worked together to collect more than 348 million pounds of trash. And we’re not the only ones who care about ocean trash: Every day, all over the world, concerned people take the problem into their own hands by cleaning up their local waterways.

“Whether we work alone on a deserted beach or with a small group of our friends, we have the knowledge that we are part of a larger congregation. Our statistics join those of others in far off places we may never get to visit.”

Judie Hansen

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, organizer of Oregon’s first statewide coastal cleanup in 1984. Excerpt from Hansen’s Preface in Cleaning America’s Beaches: 1988 National Beach Cleanup Results

Tackling the problem of plastic in the ocean begins on land. Reduction in plastics use, especially of single-use disposable products, and the collection and recycling of plastics in developing countries can help to reduce the amount of plastic waste that enters the ocean.

The Solution

Ocean Conservancy has been bringing together passionate ocean lovers and helping them contribute to a vision for Trash Free Seas®.

• We mobilize the International Coastal Cleanup®—the world’s largest volunteer effort on behalf of ocean health. The International Coastal Cleanup® is celebrated every year in September.
• We research and share key details about what’s trashing our ocean with the public, the scientific community and decision makers.
• We prevent trash from entering the waters by working with everyone from individuals to businesses to change the products, practices and behaviors that lead to ocean trash.

“It’s about people – people all over the world who care about the health of our planet and who put that care into action. It’s about cooperation and coalition, sometimes between the unlikeliest of groups who, setting aside their differing viewpoints, work together for a larger common goal.”

1993 International Coastal Cleanup Results

There’s Hope!

Ocean Conservancy is leading the way with practical solutions

Ocean Conservancy is taking bold action, working to stop the flow of trash at the source, before it has a chance to reach the water to choke and entangle dolphins or endanger sea turtles, or ruin our beaches and depress our local economies.

Ocean Conservancy is leading the way with practical solutions that:

• Empower people. We lead a movement of people taking concrete actions every day to protect our ocean. We’re bringing useful tips to people on every street corner, creek bed and coastal waterway to empower them to stop the flow of trash before it hits our shores.
• Strengthen the science. Ocean Conservancy is leading scientific work with business and academic partners to improve our knowledge of the ocean trash issue.
• Engage everyone in solutions. We can’t do this alone, so we’re bringing together leaders from industry, government, NGO partners and the scientific community through the Trash Free Seas Alliance® to bring systemic, durable solutions to the ocean trash issue.
• Promote good policies. Ocean Conservancy built support for the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act and its companion bill in the Senate, the Trash Free Seas Act, to strengthen a national focus on marine debris.