It’s that time of year! The third Saturday in September means Coastal Cleanup time in Alabama. In conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup, this year the cleanup is Sept. 18 from 8 a.m. until noon.
Alabama People Against a Littered State (PALS) partners with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources/State Lands/Coastal Section to coordinate and implement the Alabama Coastal Cleanup. This annual effort is made possible through Alabama Coastal Cleanup Corporate Sponsors, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), zone captains, local governments, academia and over 5,000 plus volunteers that dedicate their time and resources to this successful coastal effort.
Large trash bags, T-shirts, posters and other valuable cleanup materials are provided to all cleanup volunteers and are distributed at each of the 30 zones from Dauphin Island to the Alabama-Florida line. This year, the organizers are asking volunteers to download and use the Clean Swell app. With the Clean Swell app, simply start collecting trash wherever you are and the data you collected will instantaneously upload to the Ocean Conservancy’s global ocean database. These data deliver a global snapshot of ocean trash, providing researchers and policy makers insight to inform decisions regarding marine debris.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, marine debris is often the result of poorly managed waste. The amount of waste from U.S. consumers continues to rise, more than doubling between 1960 and 2013. When consumer goods, often single-use disposables, are littered or improperly managed, this trash can find its way into rivers, streams and other waterways. These ultimately empty into our oceans, where the trash becomes marine debris.
Trash, packaging and improperly disposed waste from sources on land accounts for 80% of the marine debris found on beaches during cleanups and surveys.
Furthermore, one-third to two-thirds of the debris cataloged on beaches comes from single-use, disposable plastic packaging from food and beverage-related goods and services (things like plastic cups, bottles, straws, utensils and stirrers). The other 20% (one-fifth) of items making up marine debris are attributed to at-sea losses from accidental or deliberate discharges from ocean-going vessels, and from lost or abandoned fishing gear and traps.
NOAA’s Office of Restoration has sited marine debris as one of the most widespread pollution problems facing our ocean and waterways today. This issue of solid, man-made materials in the ocean or Great Lakes is a global one that leaves no part of the world untouched by debris and its impacts.
Debris affects animals
These negative effects impact people on a daily basis, from economic losses to potential health hazards, but can impact marine animals most severely. Animals are impacted by marine debris in a variety of ways, including:
Ten things you can do to help prevent marine debris:
- Participate in local community or state-wide cleanups.
- Clean up your trash, even when not near the water. It’s amazing that a vast majority of trash in our waterways comes from land-based activities. Even trash discarded miles inland can make it to the ocean, carried by the rain and the winds.
- Retrieve your monofilament fishing line. Don’t leave fishing line in the water and remove others’ when you find it...being careful not to tug on snagged lines that could be caught on important habitat below the surface. Also be aware of hooks that may be left on the line.
- Contain and properly clean spills when boating. Use oil-absorbent rags or even diapers to clean spills. Ocean Conservancy’s Good Mate program can provide you with plenty of tips for reducing impact when on the water.
- Recycle used motor oil and oil filters. Your local gas station should have facilities for recycling these materials. Never pour oil, paint, antifreeze, or other household chemicals into an open sewer.
- Better yet, find alternatives to household chemicals. Don’t use fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides that can wash into open waters. Use lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda for household cleaning.
- Become a storm drain sentry. Stencil your local drains to remind people where the things they dump there end up...and of the potential consequences.
- Use cloth bags for groceries. Take them with you when you shop to reduce the number of plastic bags you use. In addition to being ugly, plastic bags can choke marine wildlife when mistaken for food.
- Properly dispose of used batteries and electronics. Use your local recycling center. Electronics leach harmful chemicals into the environment. Once there, these toxic pollutants can affect the environment for decades.
- Contact your elected representatives. Let them know you care about the effects of marine debris and that you are watching what they do to stop it. Then, vote for candidates who support marine debris prevention and are good stewards of our ocean.
So, let’s get out on Sept. 18 and do your part to get the trash out of the splash. During the over 34 years of the Alabama Coastal Cleanup, over 100,000 volunteers have picked up over approximately 1.7 million pounds of litter and debris from our beautiful Alabama coastal areas, beaches, state and county roadways and bayous, bays and rivers.
For more information on the cleanup go to: www.alabamacoastalcleanup.com.