Coastal cleanups

PTMSC strives to conduct several cleanups along our local coastlines in Jefferson County each year! Many of our cleanups are in partnership with Washington CoastSavers and Ocean Conservancy, like the Washington Coastal Cleanup (WCC) and International Coastal Cleanup (ICC).

You, your family and friends can join in one of our upcoming coastal cleanups! Volunteers collect and sort debris as well as contribute data on their findings to the Ocean Conservancy’s international database, via their Clean Swell app. If you are already collecting trash from your local beaches, waterways, parks and roads, check below for more information on the Clean Swell app and for resources on providing a possible second life for some of the debris you might find.

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Upcoming cleanups

April 20, 2024 – Earth Day Beach Cleanup, with Washington CoastSavers
(details to come)

September, 2024 – International Coastal Cleanup

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Marine debris collected to date

Check out how much marine debris has been collected from our local coastlines with the help of countless volunteers, like yourselves, over just the past few years!

Year	# of volunteers	Pounds of debris removed
2023
February – Love Your Earth Cleanup	40	500
April – WCC, Earth Day Cleanup	173	2,000 (850 lbs recycled; 100 lbs returned to aquaculture businesses for reuse)
September – International Coastal Cleanup	35	175
2022
April – WCC, Earth Day Cleanup	134	2,100
September – International Coastal Cleanup	68	350
2021
January – MLK Day beach cleanup	110	not available
September – International Coastal Cleanup	32	174
October – with Puget Soundkeeper	32	554
2020
April – WCC, Earth Day Cleanup	canceled
September – International Coastal Cleanup	52	164
2019
April – WCC, Earth Day Cleanup	76	670
September – International Coastal Cleanup	77	120
2018
April – WCC, Earth Day Cleanup	130	652
September – International Coastal Cleanup	52	194
2017
April – WCC, Earth Day Cleanup	141	not available
September – International Coastal Cleanup	54	200

Why is marine debris a problem?

An estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic enters the ocean every year (that is more than 20 billion pounds)! This is in addition to the estimated 200 million metric tons that are already circulating in our marine environments. (Source) 

From plankton to whales, marine debris pollution is harmful to all marine life! Whether through ingestion, entanglement, or contamination (since plastic can attract other pollutants in the environment), species worldwide are poorly affected. It is also well documented that marine debris is harmful to humans. This pollution threatens food safety and quality, as well as, quality of life and economies in coastal communities.

It’s estimated that 80% of the world’s ocean plastics enter the ocean via rivers and coastlines (Source). Thus, without efforts to clean up our local coastlines and waterways, the problem only grows. 

Ultimately this is a human-caused problem due to the worldwide increased use of plastics over decades and an emphasis on the disposability of goods. We are responsible to take action.

What does action look like?

Resources for all these action items can be found below.

• Are you already picking up trash on the beaches and waterways near you? Download and use the Clean Swell app to keep record of the impact you’ve had keeping our oceans trash free! And, you’re helping provide valuable data for scientists and policymakers.
• Participate in local coastal cleanups! Some sites we use to find local efforts are: WA CoastSavers, Ocean Conservancy’s ICC, National Cleanup Day, Surfrider, Keep America Beautiful. However, a quick google search for cleanup efforts near you may pull up other small organizations doing great work in your area!
• Don’t live on the coast? Several of the sites listed above include cleanup efforts along rivers or other inland locations!
• Did you know most marine debris actually originates from land? (Source 1, Source 2) Supporting roadside cleanups can make a huge impact by making sure this debris never even makes it to the marine environment! Locally, we love supporting the Jeff Co Trash Task Force. They head out every month to collect debris off our roadways. We bet there is someone near you doing this same amazing work that could use your support!
• Can’t find a cleanup near you? Organize one! Here is a great resource on what you’ll need to create your own!
• Action also looks like addressing our personal reliance on plastic!  Zero Waste Chef provides a great resource and inspiration on ways we can reduce our personal plastic waste.
• Most importantly, we need to pressure industries to reimagine and revamp their business practices in order to reduce plastic use and waste at the source – and they are the source! The Story of Stuff project has some great campaigns that provide you with a starting point for holding major corporations accountable. Find it here!

What do we do with this data?

Since many of our cleanups are hosted alongside organizations like Washington CoastSavers, we contribute to larger databases regarding marine pollution. We also use this data, and debris, in our exhibit spaces to bring awareness to marine pollution and the scope of this problem. 

At each cleanup, we encourage participants to categorize and log the debris they collect through the Clean Swell app. This provides an opportunity for individuals to turn the trash they pick up into valuable data for scientists and policymakers.

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Resources