International Coastal Cleanup Month

International Coastal Cleanup Day has been changed for 2020 and is now International Coastal Cleanup Month, a global movement encompassing 6 million volunteers in 90 countries. If you can, do an individual or small-scale, socially distanced cleanup at your favorite beach or in your neighborhood. Check out Surfrider’s Solo Beach Cleanup Guidelines or the Ocean Conservancy’s 8 Steps to Safely Conduct a Solo or Small Cleanup.

Why are beach cleanups important? Some of the top five most commonly collected items on ICCD last year were cigarette butts, plastic beverage bottles, food wrappers, plastic bottle caps and plastic straws - all are forms of plastic waste. By using data from beach cleanups, organizations such as Surfrider Foundation are affecting change at the local, state and federal levels. In 2019 alone, Surfrider had 63 victories to reduce single-use plastic in our environment. Beach clean-ups help drive policy change and are a gateway to activism, but it’s also essential to reduce plastic waste at the source. Check out these tips from Jack’s partners in Hawaii to get started: Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii’s Clean Beaches Start at Home campaign or Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation’s Tips to Go Plastic Free!