Coastal Cleanup
PICKING UP THE PIECES ON CONNECTICUT'S BEACHES
2011 Cleanup Data
73 cleanup events
2,655 volunteers
29,210 pounds of trash removed
54 miles of waterfront cleaned
What is the problem?
Trash on our beaches can have hazardous impacts on fish, wildlife and even local economies. Marine life becomes entangled in fishing line, nets and six-pack rings. Fish, birds and turtles mistake trash like Styrofoam, plastics and cigarette butts for food, which may eventually lead to starvation.
Additionally, marine debris weakens economies by sapping precious dollars from tourism and seafood industries. Long Island Sound contributes more than $9 billion to the regional economy each year, and we'd like to keep it that way.
How we help
Save the Sound, supported by the Long Island Sound Study and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, organizes coastal cleanups in the spring and fall to move debris along our shoreline. In the last five years, Save the Sound's Coastal Cleanup program has brought together more than 11,000 volunteers who have removed over 90,000 pounds of trash from nearly 300 miles of Connecticut waterfront.
International Coastal Cleanup
In addition to our spring and fall cleanups, Save the Sound is the Connecticut coordinator for Ocean Conservancy's annual International Coastal Cleanup, the largest volunteer effort of its kind. Over the last 25 years, ICC, which takes place in September, has motivated almost nine million people from around the world to remove over 144 million pounds of trash from nearly 300,000 miles of shoreline.
Cleanup Captain Toolbox
2013 Coastal Cleanup Manual
Cleanup Captain Registration
Decomposition Rates Chart
Get involved
Get involved If you'd like to be a captain for a Connecticut coastal cleanup, email Valerie Wormely-Radford at vwormely-radford@ctenvironment.org to stake your claim. If you know of other sites in need of help, please let us know. Save the Sound also coordinates corporate cleanups for business organizations. Please email for more information.
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