National parks are unarguably loved places in the United States with more than 325 million visitors yearly. While wildlife and habitat are protected in many ways, the harms of plastic pollution are felt even in these most beautiful places. Fortunately, cleanup programs like Surfrider’s Beach Cleanups exist helping to provide a solution.

Yosemite Facelift & 5 Gyres TrashBlitz

I recently volunteered at the Yosemite Climbing Association’s Facelift event where I picked up trash (spoiler alert: mostly plastic) with my favorite people in one of my favorite places. Over four days,1,215 volunteers hiked all over Yosemite, logging 7,780 volunteer hours, and collectively picked up 13,112 pounds! 

As much as I felt good about playing a small part in cleaning up Yosemite, there are more comprehensive and effective ways to address this problem, starting with collecting solid data and implementing effective policy changes that address plastic pollution at the source.

Why Data Matters

Picking up trash absolutely makes a difference, especially to wildlife that can mistake plastic for food and ingest it. Collecting plastic litter also means it doesn’t continue breaking down into microplastics. But, going one step further by logging data provides critical information that can influence policy and also helps hold businesses accountable for the waste they’ve created. The 5 Gyres TrashBlitz project was doing just that as they collected information on over 8,000 pieces of trash. 

By gaining a better understanding of the materials, items, and brands of most commonly found waste, we can come up with solutions that address these issues. Read 5 Gyres’ 2023 Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz Report here.

Photo Credit: Alison Waliszewski, 5 Gyres

Let’s Work Together Towards Plastic-Free National Parks

I hope that over the years to come, my family and friends won’t be picking up trash because there isn’t any to be found. But in the meantime, we can work together towards Plastic-Free National Parks and beyond! Here are a few ideas: 

• Join a Surfrider Beach Cleanup! Beach Cleanups provide a fun and easy way to volunteer and engage with our mission to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people. Read about our 2023 Beach Cleanup Report here.
• Conduct a Solo Beach Cleanup! Can’t join a beach cleanup? You can make a difference by picking up trash and recording data where you are.
• Be a Friend of the Ocean. Join Surfrider volunteers and activists around the globe as we rally 1 million friends of the ocean to advocate for policies to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches for future generations.