Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup Announced for September 21

Volunteer for the movement for Trash Free Seas and help clean up our coastlines                 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Today, Ocean Conservancy announces the date for the 28th annual International Coastal Cleanup, a global event that mobilizes hundreds of thousands of people to take action for our ocean, for September 21.  By joining the movement for Trash Free Seas, volunteers will help clean up trash already in the ocean and work to reduce their own trash impact before it happens.

Trash in our ocean is an issue that affects wildlife, the environment and our economy. But everyone has a role that they can play in helping. Here are three actions volunteers can do to both clean up and prevent ocean trash:

• Take part in this year's International Coastal Cleanup as a volunteer.
• Pledge to fight trash: If 10,000 people decided not to make as much trash for one month, we could reduce the trash on Earth by over a million pounds. Taking the pledge will help turn the tide on trash.
• Download Rippl, Ocean Conservancy's free mobile app that helps people make simple, sustainable lifestyle choices.

"Last year volunteers picked up a quantity of trash equivalent to the weight of 10 jumbo jets, which demonstrates the more people who come out, the bigger an impact we can have," said Nicholas Mallos, marine debris specialist of Ocean Conservancy's Trash Free Seas program. "Seeing the trash along beaches and waterways makes you realize: just because trash is thrown away and out of sight doesn't mean it's out of our ocean. And the continuous need for the Cleanup indicates we're not winning the battle upstream. The Cleanup is a starting point and just one way people can help fight the problem of ocean trash."

"Every piece of trash that is picked up during the Cleanup should be a challenge for change," said Mallos. "The trash that tops our top 10 list every year – things like cigarette butts, bags and bottle caps – include disposable plastics meant for one-time usage. These items simply do not belong in our natural environment."

Contact Ocean Conservancy for additional videos, graphics and photos.

Partners:

The Coca-Cola Company has supported Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup for the past 18 years. Last year, Coca-Cola activated a global employee engagement campaign to encourage participation in the Cleanup. Over 24,000 Coca-Cola system associates, their friends and families in 27 countries volunteered, cleaning more than 1,300 miles of coastline. As part of its commitment to address global climate change, Bank of America has supported the Cleanup since 2002, with thousands of employees participating in Cleanup events all around the world. Other national sponsors include National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Altria Group, Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Landshark Lager, Glad, Brunswick Public Foundation, CVS Caremark, Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Media Contact: Jim Wintering, [email protected], (202) 280-6232

SOURCE Ocean Conservancy