For over 35 years, Surfrider and its volunteer network have been cleaning up our beaches. Since 2015 alone, thousands of volunteers have helped collect over 1 million pounds of trash off our beaches and waterways.
After each cleanup, trash is sorted, counted and weighed by our volunteers. That data is then saved to our database, where it can be easily shared with congressional leaders and elected officials across the nation. Our beach cleanup data has helped pass plastic reduction laws all over the country but we need your help to keep this momentum rolling!
Have you ever wondered what happens at a Surfrider beach cleanup?
Check out this video for a behind-the-scenes look and find a cleanup near you!
Why should you attend a Surfrider beach cleanup?
✅ You’re making a positive impact in your local community
✅ You’re providing Surfrider with valuable data, used to pass plastic reduction laws and policies
✅ You’re helping the local economy
✅ You’re preserving our beautiful public spaces for everyone to enjoy
✅ You’re setting an example for others and raising awareness for an important issue
Did you know that Surfrider beach cleanups not only remove trash from our beaches, they also help us pass laws and policies that stop trash from polluting our beaches in the first place? Here is how we do that:
1️⃣ With your help, we pick up, sort and count the trash we collect at our beach cleanups.
2️⃣ We input that trash collection data into our national database so we can see what kind of trash is being collected and how much of it is littering our beaches locally and nationally.
3️⃣ We present that data to our elected officials to encourage them to pass laws and policies that address plastic pollution at the source. This includes single use straw, single-use plastic bags and expanded polystyrene bans, throughout the nation.
4️⃣ We then build upon the successes of local and statewide single-use plastic bans to create momentum for national legislation, like the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act. This act is the most comprehensive federal plastic pollution reduction bill ever introduced in Congress.
Click here to learn more and find a cleanup near you!