The Surfrider Foundation is pleased to present our fifth annual Beach Cleanup Report, highlighting beach cleanup data, regional case studies, and current science of 2023. As we reflect on the impacts of the national Beach Cleanup program, the heartfelt stories of how our network increased our power in the fight against plastic pollution amazes and inspires us.
Program Overview
Surfrider’s Plastic Pollution Initiative combines programmatic and policy work to acheive our goals, and our Beach Cleanup program is the first step in reducing the amount of plastic ending up in our waterways, on our beaches, and ultimately in the ocean. Beach cleanups play a critical role in addressing the plastic pollution crisis. They allow us to learn about the types of plastic that are found on our beaches and provide an entry point for people to learn more about the impacts of single-use plastics on our environment. Our volunteer chapter network conducts local beach cleanups across the nation and removes hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash and recyclables each year. By collecting data during cleanups, we compile useful information about top littered items and use those findings to influence policies at local, state, and national levels.
2023 Highlights:
190,654 |
34,600 |
985 |
Beach cleanups have been an integral part of the Surfrider Foundation for decades. Last year’s data shows that we are continuing to improve and having even more of an impact with each cleanup. Together, 34,600 volunteers removed over 225,000 pounds of trash and recycling across 985 events to ultimately reduce the amount of plastic pollution flowing into our ocean.
We increased our volunteer engagement, the number of items removed from the environment, and the total weight of trash compared to 2022. This means that Surfrider cleanups are generating a more significant positive impact than ever before. One of the more jarring statistics is the number of individual items picked up; of the additional 200,000 pieces of trash removed from our coasts compared to last year, the majority of it was plastic. So, while we are making bigger strides with our cleanup efforts, the flow of trash onto our beaches remains an exponentially bigger issue that we must continue to work together to resolve.
Top 10 Items Collected at 2023 Cleanups:
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190,654 Cigarette Butts |
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61,638 Small Plastic Fragments |
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57,838 Large Plastic Fragments |
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51,600 Small Foam Fragments |
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44,183 Large Foam Fragments |
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41,916 |
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31,542 Plastic Bottle Caps/Rings |
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18,444 Plastic Straws |
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15,867 Paper/Wood Fragments |
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14,217 Plastic Bottles |
Regional Stories
The 2023 Beach Cleanup Report features regional case studies and success stories from Surfrider’s chapter and student club network that show just how impactful we can be when working together. From storm responses to holiday cleanups, Surfrider activists cooperatively cleaned up our nation's beaches, lakes, and rivers.
Science and Policy
The report also dives into single-use plastic foodware and the problems associated with it. Single-use foodware makes up nearly 10% of all items found during Surfrider cleanups and in some cities, roughly 67% of all litter found on city streets. Disposable plastic foodware is not only a pollution problem, but also has detrimental impacts on the health of both people and the climate.
Plastic Impacts On Health:
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Exposure to BPA and other chemicals in plastic is linked with developmental problems, heart disease, diabetes, and more. |
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People who drink only plastic bottled water could be ingesting an additional 90,000 microplastic particles each year. |
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Plastic production facilities contribute to cancer, asthma, and other diseases in the nearby communities. |
The Surfrider Foundation knows things can be better, which is why we’re using both our programmatic and policy arms to fight back against single-use plastic foodware pollution. The Ocean Friendly Restaurants program is exemplifying what a plastic-free future can look like. In 2023, 540 OFRs in 28 states and Puerto Rico served over 36 million single-use, plastic-free meals.
In addition to building support from businesses, another successful approach to reducing disposable foodware is through Surfrider’s policy advocacy. In 2023, New York City passed a monumental ‘Skip the Stuff’ bill, aiming to change consumer expectations of takeout and delivery orders by requiring customers to opt-in to receiving disposable foodware, rather than expecting it automatically. With plans to expand on this nationally, we are confident that we can reduce the hospitality industry’s dependency on disposable foodware and eliminate single-use plastic foodware for good.
The Better Beach Alliance
The Surfrider Foundation engaged the support and commitment of our surf industry partner, REEF, to establish the Better Beach Alliance in 2018. The original mission statement of the Better Beach Alliance (BBA) was to drive beach cleanup data collection with the ultimate goal of creating lasting protection for our ocean, waves, and beaches through the advancement of policy at the local, state, and federal levels to cut off plastic pollution at the source.
Six years later, the BBA has served as a powerful platform for innovation, learning, and community collaboration. The program invites individuals and businesses to take action and join in our shared mission of coming together and contributing to coastal conservation. We continue to evolve and improve our national beach cleanup program with the support of our national program sponsor, REEF.
Photo Credit: Ridge BenBen
The complete 2023 Beach Cleanup Report is available to view here. We are incredibly grateful to have a dedicated network of volunteers and sponsors who share our love for the ocean. We encourage you to join us by connecting with your local Surfrider chapter to participate in this beach cleanup program that provides crucial data to implement widespread changes to stop plastic pollution at the source. When we all work together to fight single-use plastics, we can keep our ocean and beaches clean from plastic pollution today and for future generations.