Every third Saturday of September, thousands around the world join the International Coastal Clean-up, an activity initiated by the Ocean Conservancy.

The event is meant to mobilize people to remove trash and debris from beaches and waterways around the world. After the collection, sources of trash and debris are identified to help focus on ways to change behaviors that cause the dumping of wastes on seas and rivers.

Last year, 104 countries joined the International Coastal Clean-up. The almost 400,000 volunteers collected a total of 6.8 million pounds of trash that not only pollute seas and rivers, but also harm fisheries and pose risks on human health.

According to Ocean Conservancy website, the top three types of trash found in the world’s seas are cigarette butts, food containers and plastic bags.
The activity has a 23-year history and began in South Padre Island, Texas, USA. More information about the International Coastal Clean-up can be found on www.OceanConservancy.org