September’s Coastal Cleanup draws more than 2,500 volunteers

DOVER (Dec. 23, 2010) – The numbers are finally in: this year’s Delaware Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 25 drew a record-shattering 2,533 volunteers, who collected nearly 6.5 tons of trash from 41 sites along more than 80 miles of Delaware’s waterways and coastline stretching from Wilmington to Fenwick Island.

“Three of the most important goals of the Coastal Cleanup are to raise public awareness about the kinds of trash that are ending up in our parks, wildlife areas and waterways, to remind everyone of the vital importance of proper trash disposal, and ultimately, to make our beautiful beaches cleaner,” said Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup coordinator. “This year, we drew over 500 more volunteers and collected 3 tons less trash than last year, both positive signs which are right in line with these goals.”

Topping the list of interesting or unusual items this year were a bridesmaid dress, helium gas cylinder, Adopt-A-Highway sign, cell phone, TV, VCR, Christmas wreath, hockey puck, basketball, football, bike, tennis ball, bicycle tire, luggage, tractor tire, garden hose, bathtub, kite with line and reel, Barbie hair, insulated pizza delivery bag, lunchbox, cooler, baby bottle, watermelon, pineapple, package of meat, bottle of brandy, refrigerator handle, tent tarp, homemade raft, car bumper, 5-gallon can of driveway sealer, saw blade, duct tape, spark plug, air horn, car air freshener, underwear, bikini, flip flops, whale bone, chair, lottery tickets, arrows, bubble wrap, fluorescent light fixture and eye drops.

Other items were notable in their numbers. Statewide, volunteers picked up 28,675 cigarette and cigar butts, 84 old tires, more than 3,000 plastic bags, nearly 1,500 fishing-related items and more than 26,000 pieces of food-related trash, including nearly 9,000 plastic, glass and aluminum beverage containers. In addition, volunteers collected more than 400 nails from a beach where there was evidence of numerous bonfires involving flammable items held together by nails, such as pallets and wood-framed couches.

The Delaware cleanup is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, the Ocean Conservancy’s flagship program dealing with marine debris and data collection. Delaware’s event is organized by DNREC and co-sponsored by Delmarva Power and Playtex. The types and quantities of trash collected are recorded on data cards and forwarded to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles the information to help identify the source of the debris and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing it.

“The 2010 Delaware Coastal Cleanup was a great success, and I’d like to thank our volunteers and sponsors for their support,” Wilson added. “We hope our volunteers will mark their calendars for next year’s cleanup.”

Delaware’s next Coastal Cleanup is set for Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. Volunteers are encouraged to pre-register to ensure sites receive enough supplies. Interested volunteers can check out DNREC’s website at www.delaware.dnrec.gov next summer for registration information.

For more information on The Ocean Conservancy or the International Coastal Cleanup, visit the Conservancy’s website at www.oceanconservancy.org.

Vol. 40, No. 420