Photo: Alexander Siegel
The Surfrider Foundation just released the 2020 Beach Cleanup Report. Thanks to data collected by our volunteers, this is the second annual report to come out about the types of litter found on our beaches.
Even though 2020 presented challenges, Surfrider volunteers were still able to complete 927 beach cleanups nationwide, removing over 80,000 pounds of debris from beaches, neighborhoods, and waterways! See the top 10 items collected below.
No surprise, all of these items are made of plastic -- even cigarette butts contain a plastic filter, and polyethylene foam (also called Styrofoam) is plastic #6. This data is really important for informing the Surfrider Foundation about the worst offenders of plastic pollution. With this information, we can decide what campaigns to work on to create plastic policy change.