Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Wednesday announced nearly 14,000 volunteers cleaned up over 860,000 pounds of trash in Pennsylvania during the 2016 International Coastal Cleanup in September and October.

The top five types of trash, documented by volunteers, included: Cigarette Butts – 20,562; Food Wrappers – 8,128; Plastic Pieces – 5,281; Beverage Bottles – 4,319; and Tires – 2,941.

The International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer effort to improve the health of the world’s oceans and waterways. The Cleanup gives citizens around the world the opportunity to clean up their local waterways and to be a part of a larger movement. 

This year, in a special project, nine groups partnered to cleanup along the Delaware River and the shoreline of Little Tinicum Island in Delaware County (photo) resulting in the collection of 15,250 pounds of trash by 61 volunteers.

The partnering groups included Keep PA Beautiful, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Philadelphia Water Department, DCNR Bureau of Forestry William Penn Forest District, Delaware Sojourn, United By Blue, Ridley Township Marina, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary - Flotilla 04-76 and PA Parks and Forests Foundation.

“We are honored to partner with the Ocean Conservancy and coordinate the International Coastal Cleanup in Pennsylvania,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep PA Beautiful.  “We are grateful to all the volunteers who give up their personal time to get wet and dirty to help keep our waterways clean.

“This program continues to grow across the state and provides volunteers an opportunity to keep their communities clean and beautiful while also working to save our oceans from litter and debris that makes its way downstream,” she added.

Funding for the International Coastal Cleanup coordination in Pennsylvania is provided by the Department of Environmental Protection – Bureau of Waste Management and Coastal Resource Management.

For more information, visit Keep PA Beautiful’s International Coastal Cleanup webpage.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel. 

Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up communities and keep them clean and KPB’s new Electronics Waste website.

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1/9/2017