Clean Ocean Action volunteers are gearing up for another year of collecting peculiar items along New Jersey beaches. In 2023, volunteers collected over 176,000 items along the state’s 127-mile coastline, ranging from mundane debris to bizarre objects like voodoo dolls, whoopie cushions, zip ties, and denture powder. The upcoming Jersey Shore beach season promises more interesting discoveries, following last year’s unusual finds.
The Clean Ocean Action environmental group has been conducting beach sweeps since 1985, collecting nearly 8.5 million items of trash and recycling what can be reprocessed. Executive director Cindy Zipf referred to the report as a “guilt list of our region’s worst littering ways.” The true diversity of the items found on New Jersey beaches ranges from common items like bottle caps and cigarette butts to more peculiar finds like severed Barbie heads, Baby Yoda dolls, and food fryers left behind in the sand.
Plastic items made up nearly 80% of the total haul, with bottle caps, lids, food wrappers, plastic pieces, cigarette butts, and plastic straws among the most common items collected. However, the more head-scratching finds included auto parts like car batteries, a bumper, tires, and even an automobile gas tank. Other unexpected items left behind on the beach included body hair remover, denture cleansing powder, crock pots, a Philadelphia Eagles banner, and even six pineapples and a coconut.
The variety of items found during beach cleanups highlights the unpredictable nature of human behavior when it comes to littering at public beaches. Volunteers with Clean Ocean Action continue their efforts to keep the beaches clean and educate the public on the impact of pollution on marine life. The annual beach sweeps serve as a reminder of the importance of responsible waste disposal and the need for continued efforts to protect the environment and preserve the beauty of New Jersey’s coastline.
The Clean Ocean Action report serves as a reminder of the need for environmental stewardship and responsible waste management. By highlighting the bizarre and sometimes downright bizarre items found on New Jersey beaches, the report draws attention to the impact of human activities on marine ecosystems and the importance of keeping our beaches clean. The efforts of volunteers in collecting and disposing of litter help protect wildlife and preserve the natural beauty of the Jersey Shore for future generations.
As the Jersey Shore beach season approaches, Clean Ocean Action volunteers gear up for another year of collecting and disposing of litter left behind by beachgoers. The diverse array of items found along New Jersey’s coastline, from everyday trash to unusual objects, underscores the importance of environmental conservation and the need for ongoing efforts to protect the marine environment. Through their work, volunteers play a crucial role in raising awareness about the impact of pollution and advocating for sustainable practices to safeguard our oceans and beaches.
