Posts tagged with

cleanups

Campaign for a “Litter-Free Mardi Gras”

Posted Thu, 02/08/2018 - 11:00

By: Caitlin Wessel, Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program

Mardi Gras is a fun occasion for many cities across the South, from New Orleans to Alabama. Bead necklaces and other items like moon pies, cups, and cheap toys are a Mardi Gras staple and are thrown to excited crowds lining the streets during parades that begin six weeks before Fat Tuesday. Unfortunately, many of these items are abandoned on the street and can easily wash down street drains and end up in streams, rivers, and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. Learn how our partners are working to reduce the environmental impacts of Mardi Gras while keeping the Mardi Gras spirit alive and well!

Clean Up Your Community for Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day!

Posted Fri, 01/12/2018 - 11:00

Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and let’s remember that it’s not just a day off from work and school, but a day to think about what it means for our country. To commemorate a great man who spent his life serving others, this day has become a time to come together to give back to our communities and volunteer our time to a good cause. If you’d like to participate in MLK Day of Service, consider joining a cleanup in your area. Cleaning up your local shoreline or even just your neighborhood can help prevent trash from becoming marine debris and can help to create a healthy ocean that we can all enjoy.

Mississippi Coastal Cleanup

Posted Thu, 11/09/2017 - 11:00

By: Amanda Sartain, Extension Program Assistant at Mississippi State University

Since 1988, thousands of Mississippi Coastal Cleanup volunteers have contributed hours of hard work and dedication to the removal of marine debris, which includes any solid, man-made material that ends up in the marine environment either intentionally or unintentionally. Millions of pounds of marine debris have been removed from Mississippi beaches, waterways, and barrier islands over the years. Unsurprisingly, commonly-collected trash items have included cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic bottles, and straws. During last year’s cleanup event, over 14 tons of trash were collected. Cigarette butts, food wrappers, and plastic beverage bottles were once again among the most common items found. 

The 29th annual Mississippi Coastal Cleanup will take place Saturday, November 18th, from 8 to 11am. Come get involved!

2017 International Coastal Cleanup: A Success!

Posted Mon, 09/18/2017 - 12:15

Thank you to all the volunteers that showed up and cleaned up at this year’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) on Saturday! This year’s event was another success due to the many volunteers that helped collect (literally) tons of trash! This yearly event not only removes damaging marine debris from communities around the globe, but also raises awareness of the important issue of marine debris. The data collected at each event is also used to discover what trash items are most problematic and most likely to become marine debris. Check out some of the photos from this year’s ICC events around the country.

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Don’t Miss the International Coastal Cleanup This Saturday!

Posted Thu, 09/14/2017 - 11:00

It’s almost here! The annual International Coastal Cleanup is this Saturday, September 16th.

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend and you’d like to do your part to help address the marine debris problem, join thousands of volunteers from around the world to clean up your local area. Each year, the International Coastal Cleanup brings people together from around the globe to clean up marine debris in their local communities. Join us this year—find a location near you and sign up to clean up!

Let’s Keep Enjoying the Outdoors by Cleaning Up Marine Debris!

Posted Mon, 06/12/2017 - 11:00

This past Saturday was National Get Outdoors Day— did you participate? It’s getting to be that time of year when the weather is beautiful and being outside is awesome. Unfortunately, when you’re enjoying the outdoors, you’re likely to run into something that is way too common: marine debris. Sadly, marine debris is a global problem that originates from a variety of sources. That empty chip bag that you see on your street? That can easily find its way to our waters and become marine debris.

Don’t Forget to Get Involved This Earth Day!

Posted Fri, 04/21/2017 - 10:30

Earth Day is tomorrow and there is still plenty of time to figure out how you’d like to get involved and celebrate! There are many things we can all do in our everyday lives to help our planet and Earth Day is a great time to start those habits. Earth Day is also a good time to make the extra effort to get involved in a cleanup. You can get outside to enjoy the nice spring weather and have a good time with friends as you also work to pick up debris and clean our environment. Not sure where to find a cleanup near you? Check out this list of cleanups throughout the country! There have been some recent additions to the list, so take another look if you’ve seen it already.

Join a Cleanup this Earth Day

Posted Thu, 04/06/2017 - 10:30

It’s April and that means that Earth Day is right around the corner! This year, Earth Day is on Saturday, April 22nd, and it’s a great opportunity to join in the fight against marine debris and prevent trash from entering our ocean, waterways, and Great Lakes. There are lots of cleanup events happening on and around Earth Day; make sure you’re prepared by knowing what cleanups are happening in your area! Here are a few to get you started.

Don’t see a cleanup close to you? Keep an eye on our blog and website for updates closer to Earth Day or start one yourself—gather some friends, grab some gloves and bags, and clean up your area (please remember, safety first)!

April Showers Bring… Marine Debris

Posted Tue, 04/04/2017 - 11:30

You’re likely familiar with the phrase “April showers bring May flowers.” April is often associated with rainy and wet weather, but unfortunately it doesn’t just bring flowers, it also brings marine debris. With rains and melting snow and ice, trash that has found its way to our streets, storm drains, shorelines, etc. is flushed out into our ocean, Great Lakes, and waterways. Some of this trash may have even been trapped within the snow for months before being swept away with melting runoff.

So what do we do about this springtime debris? We can work to pick up this trash before April showers have a chance to wash it into our nearby waters! If you haven’t already, subscribe to our e-newsletter, which lists cleanup events happening around the country each month.

Don’t Get the Winter Blues—Get the Winter Can-Do’s Instead!

Posted Fri, 01/20/2017 - 09:17

It may be cold and grey outside, but don’t let it get you down! Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean our efforts to reduce the impacts of marine debris need to dwindle. There are still lots of ways we can make a difference in the fight against marine debris, even when the winter has slowed things down.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. Don’t forget your 3R’s, which make a difference at any time of year! Reduce the amount of single-use materials that you use. Reuse items when you can. And for the items that you do use, don’t forget to recycle whenever possible (check out this blog on recycling to make sure you’re doing it right!).

Spread the word! It doesn’t have to be warm outside to spread the word to friends and family. Preventing marine debris is the key to solving the problem and we can do that through education and outreach.