Ocean Conservancy Counts 7.4 M Pounds of Trash in Cleanup Trash
on this Manila, Philippines, beach threatens marine life,
ecosystems, and coastal economies. Ocean Conservancy released
"Trash Travels: From Our Hands to the Sea, Around the Globe, and
Through Time" (pdf), which describes and measures the marine
debris problem facing wildlife, economies and marine ecosystems.
Last year, nearly 500,000 volunteers around the world combed
their local beaches and waterways collecting trash and recording
the data during the 24th annual International Coastal Cleanup –
the largest volunteer effort of its kind. Volunteers removed and
recorded 7.4 million pounds of trash in 108 countries and
locations, 45 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The
report features the group’s annual Marine Debris Index – the
world’s only country-by-country, state-by-state analysis of
trash in the oceans and waterways. Vikki Spruill, president and
chief executive officer of Ocean Conservancy, said: “Momentum is
building. There is a growi