Voodoo doll, cigarette butts, straws part of nearly 20,000 pounds of trash collected from R.I. shores

VOLUNTEERS ARE seen with the bags of trash they collected in Narragansett at Save The Bay's annual coastal cleanup in September. / COURTESY SAVE THE BAY
VOLUNTEERS ARE seen with the bags of trash they collected in Narragansett at Save The Bay's annual coastal cleanup in September. / COURTESY SAVE THE BAY

PROVIDENCE – Nearly 20,000 pounds of trash, an increase of 3,101 pounds over last year, was collected during the Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup in Rhode Island by approximately 2,200 volunteers statewide.
The Sept. 19 cleanup, coordinated by Save The Bay, resulted in 19,469 pounds of trash collected over 65 miles of shoreline, including 47,397 cigarette butts, which made up 39 percent of all trash collected on Rhode Island’s coast.
Along with cigarette butts, the other top 10 trash items collected were: 10,448 food wrappers, 7,960 plastic bottle caps, 6,023 plastic beverage bottles, 5,037 straws and stirrers, 3,689 drink cans, 3,678 metal bottle caps, 3,655 plastic bags, 3,557 glass bottles and 2,726 plastic/foam packaging.

Save The Bay said volunteers also found unusual items, such as a boat floorboard, voodoo doll, traffic cone, children’s swimming pool, craft supplies, frying pan, sunglasses and more.
In addition, 38,911 bits of “tiny trash” were collected, representing pieces of glass and plastic less than 2.5 centimeters in diameter, according to Save The Bay, which said “tiny trash” occurs because most litter does not biodegrade, and instead breaks down into smaller pieces.
For the first time, Save The Bay said that cleanups were held in every coastal town in Rhode Island during the annual event, and that a total of 160,205 items were collected and documented.
“These data help us understand where the trash is coming from,” Save The Bay Volunteer and Internship Manager July Lewis said in a statement. “The biggest source is from people eating, drinking and smoking on the beach and then leaving their trash behind. It is important that beachgoers bring an empty garbage bag with them and dispose of their trash; anything to prevent leaving trash on the beach.”
Other sources of trash include inland litter that washes down storm drains, illegal dumping, and fishing and boating debris, Save The Bay said.

Besides the International Coastal Cleanup, Save The Bay organizes other shoreline cleanups throughout Rhode Islsand from March through November. For volunteers interested in learning about leading a shoreline cleanup, Save The Bay will offer its next Shoreline Cleanup Leader Training on March 19, 10 a.m. to noon, at Save The Bay Center in Providence.
This year, the International Coastal Cleanup is scheduled for Sept. 17. For information on participating as a volunteer or sponsor, contact Save The Bay at savebay@savebay.org.
Sponsors of 2015 Rhode Island International Coastal Cleanup were National Grid PLC, Citizens Financial Group Inc., Dominion, Bank Of America Corp., REI, Hemenway’s Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar, Walmart Stores Inc., Zipcar, New England Med Waste Services LLC, Environmental Packaging 2.0, Professional Security Services and Davitt Design Build Inc.

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