Community Corner

Over 350,000 Pieces of Debris Removed During 2012 New Jersey Beach Sweeps

Cigarette butts comprised the largest amount of debris collected on New Jersey beaches, according to Clean Ocean Action.

Clean Ocean Action (COA) has released its 2012 Beach Sweeps report and announced that over 350,000 pieces of debris were removed from New Jersey beaches in 2012.

In April and October, 6,926 volunteers gathered at various beaches and collected the debris so it could tabulated by COA.

COA Education Program Manager Tavia Danch said the majority of the debris removed was disposable plastics. Danch said the items collected most were cigarette filters and that the number gathered increased by 47 percent over 2011's totals.

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However, Danch said the number of other items gathered including glass, lumber and plastic wrappers showed a decrease from 2011.

She said some unusual items were also collected this year including a girdle, magic wand, fortune cookie, theatrical blood and a bong.

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Hurricane Sandy Impact

Danch said Hurricane Sandy caused much of the data from October's cleanup to be "compromised."

"Unfortunately, many of our Beach Captains were affected by Superstorm Sandy and were not able to return the volunteer collected data from the Fall Beach Sweeps," Danch said. "The numbers reflected in this year’s report, especially from the fall, should be considered conservative."

COA Executive Director Cindy Zipf said Hurricane Sandy could change the types of items found during the next round of beach sweeps.

"Our beaches have been profoundly altered by Superstorm Sandy," Zipf said. "Dunes and dune grasses are gone. Large debris has piled up along the shorelines and is in our waterways. How these may impact Beach Sweeps may provide some interesting and valuable insights."

Danch said some towns, especially many in Ocean County, will not be able to participate because of a lack of beach access.

The next COA Beach Sweep is set for April 27 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.


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