Cigarette butts are the most common type of debris found during cleanups. Consistently, for over 25 years, cigarettes butts have been the top item collected during the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). In 2017 alone, more than 2.4 million cigarette butts were found at cleanup sites during the ICC. Although the amount of cigarettes consumed in the US is steadily falling, the amount of cigarette butts found in our ocean and Great Lakes is not. Why do these butts persist in our waters? And why are they such a problem, aren’t they made of natural materials?

It’s almost that time of year—time for the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC)! This annual event, put on by the Ocean Conservancy and supported by the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), works to bring people together from across the globe to clean up marine debris in their local communities. Here at the MDP, we love the ICC so much, we get out there and clean up too. To get ready for this year’s ICC, we asked our team why they #suituptocleanup.  

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to share the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a productive and collaborative effort between the NOAA Marine Debris Program and regional partners, including over 50 workshop participants, and represents a partner-led effort to guide Washington’s actions on marine debris for the next six years.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce that our 2019 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download!

Cooking a plastic-free meal may seem easy at first, but think about what you ate today. Did you have breakfast? A simple meal like cereal and milk means plastic waste from the cereal bag and the plastic milk jug. A handful of fresh berries can make your breakfast healthier, but those come in plastic clamshell packaging too. Even if you skipped breakfast and just had a cup of coffee, those coffee grounds are probably kept fresh in a plastic bag, not to mention your plastic container of creamer. So much of our food is covered in plastic, having a meal with only ingredients not found in plastic packaging can be a real challenge.  

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce our FY19 “Marine Debris Removal” federal funding opportunity.
Projects awarded through the removal grant competition will create long-term, quantifiable ecological habitat improvements for NOAA trust resources, with priority consideration for efforts targeting derelict fishing gear and other medium- and large-scale debris. Projects should also foster public awareness of the effects of marine debris to further the conservation of living marine resource habitats, and contribute to the understanding of marine debris composition, distribution and impacts.

Following a highly competitive merit review process, the NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to announce the 23 recipients of our 2018 prevention and removal grant awards totaling approximately $2.5 million in federal funds.  With each project, federal funding is matched by non-federal contributions, bringing the total investment of these marine debris projects to $5.5 million.  These awards will support efforts to address the pervasive national and global problem of marine debris that can impact wildlife, navigation safety, human health, and the economy.

The days are getting shorter and cooler, and soon teachers and students alike must say goodbye to the lazy, hazy days of summer. The new school year can be a new beginning, so why not take this time to build some better habits in the classroom? If you want to reduce the amount of waste your class produces, a great way to start is to understand what you already throw away and recycle. Figure out how much waste your class creates through a trash audit!