Cleaners walking along the Jersey Shore last year found tens of thousands of bottle caps, cigarette butts and candy wrappers, along with more unusual items — including a jockstrap, a Christmas wreath with a large bow and an 8-by-10-foot area rug.
The items were found by volunteers along the sand and surf on New Jersey’s beaches during cleanups, according to the 2023 Beach Sweeps Report released Thursday by the environmental nonprofit Clean Ocean Action.
For more than 38 years, the Beach Sweeps program has worked to rid beaches of unsightly and harmful debris. Since 1985, it has expanded to include over 10,000 volunteers at numerous cleanup sites along the state’s shores who have collected more than 8.4 million pieces of litter.
“It’s a great way for folks to give back to the ocean that brings them so much joy and, of course, to give those beaches a nice clean sweep and in doing so, collect valuable data that you can then use to drive public policies and actions that can reduce the sources of that terrible litter that’s not only ugly, but it’s lethal and very harmful to marine life,” Cindy Zipf, Clean Ocean Action’s executive director, said during a press briefing.
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Organizers said last year’s data was impacted by inclement weather, significantly reducing the number of volunteers and data collected compared to previous years. As a result, the data was reported as an estimate of items removed per volunteer.
The bi-annual beach sweeps removed more than 176,206 items in 2023 from New Jersey’s shores, from Englewood Cliffs down to Cape May.
It was the second year that volunteers observed a reduced number of plastic bags, polystyrene foam food container and straws found during the beach cleanups. The decrease is thanks in part to the state’s ban on single-use plastic bags enacted in May 2022, organizers said.
Clean Ocean Action also keeps a catalogue of the most ridiculous items collected from New Jersey’s beaches during its beach sweeps. Among the most unusual items found last year:
- a 50 pound bag of rice
- a Voodoo doll
- a food fryer
- half a dozen pineapples
- a full length mirror
- a plaster hand
During each sweep, participants collect and record data about what they find, which is presented in the annual report and used to advance federal, state and local programs to reduce litter. The report also identifies trends, tracking new items and those becoming more scarce.
“These reports are then used by not only the media, but also by schools and other groups to really look at what’s washing up on our beaches and how we can all individually make a difference,” Zipf said.
Plastic bags, straws, foam continue to decline
New Jersey’s beaches continue to see a substantial impact from the statewide plastic bag ban that took effect nearly two years ago. Clean Ocean Action first noticed a drop in plastic garbage from 2021 to 2022, with a 37% drop in plastic bags, a 39% decline in plastic straws and a 37% drop in foam waste.
There were .65 plastic bags removed per volunteer during the spring 2023 clean up and .61 plastic bags removed per volunteer during the fall 2023 cleanup.
Although the state has made progress in reducing plastic bags and other items, plastic remains an issue on New Jersey beaches, making up more than 79% of the debris collected in 2023, according to the Beach Sweeps Report.
There were 23,788 plastic bottle caps and lids collected during last year’s sweeps, making it the single most commonly collected piece of debris. After plastic bottle caps and lids (13.5% of total debris), food and candy wrappers (10%), plastic pieces (9.5%) and cigarette filters (6.6%) ranked as some of the worst offenders.
Despite their small size, plastic pieces have an outsized impact on the environment, according to experts. The United Nations estimates the world is producing nearly 474 million tons of plastic per year, on average. Over time, plastics break down into tiny particles that can then enter our bloodstream through drinking water, food, using personal products and even just breathing, experts say.
Metal cans make a stubborn comeback
Last year saw a resurgence in the littering of metal beverage cans on New Jersey beaches, according to the Beach Sweeps Report. Volunteers collected 4,106 metal beverage cans during last year’s sweeps, making it the 10th most commonly collected piece of debris.
In 2022, metal cans were number 18 on the list of most commonly collected debris. It’s the first time since 2008 that metal cans have been among the most common debris.
The largest source of aluminum in municipal solid waste is aluminum cans and other packaging, according to the federal Department of Environmental Protection. Although metal cans are easier to sort and recycle than plastic bottles, they still come with an environmental footprint. The production of one aluminum can pumps about twice as much carbon into the atmosphere as each plastic bottle, according to a 2019 Reuters report.
The ‘Dirty Dozen’
The top twelve most commonly collected items during last year’s beach sweeps were: plastic bottle caps and lids; food and candy wrappers or bags; plastic pieces; cigarette filters; plastic straws and stirrers; foam pieces; plastic beverage bottles; cigar tips; paper pieces; metal beverage cans; glass pieces; and other plastics.
Plastic bottle caps and lids rose to the top spot after dropping to second in 2022. Together with plastic food and candy wrappers, plastic bottle caps and lids accounted for almost 36% of all the pieces of debris collected last year.
Organizers often use the bi-annual beach sweeps to advocate for changes in laws. Most recently, the group testified in favor of a New York City Council bill allowing event attendees to bring reusable aluminum and stainless-steel beverage containers into sports arenas.
The nonprofit used Beach Sweeps data to illustrate the staggering number of plastic bottles and caps collected from New Jersey beaches in its advocacy for the bill. New York City enacted the law in January.
Clean Ocean Action is currently seeking volunteers for its 2024 Beach Sweeps events. The first clean sweep of the state’s beaches is scheduled for April 13, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m, when volunteers will be meeting at over 80 locations along the coast and inland waterways. Volunteers can register on the group’s website.
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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
