With the help of dedicated volunteers, Blue Ocean Society completed 248 cleanups in 2021 from Boston, MA to Ogunquit, ME. Data was recorded about the items collected from the shoreline using the Marine Debris Tracker app and paper data cards. By recording the debris found at these cleanups, we learn about local marine debris issues, identify debris items of greatest concern, share results with the community, and advocate for the appropriate solutions.
We have announced these results in some public presentations, but we now have fact sheets assembled for your reading pleasure! Below you will find links to documents outlining the total number of debris items collected, the number of sites cleaned, and the number of cleanups per town.
The Results
A Brief Summary
- 248 cleanups at 41 different sites
- 194 of these cleanups were in New Hampshire
- Over 72,000 items were collected weighing in at 3,900 pounds
- 9 of the Top 10 Collected Items are composed of plastic
2021 Marine Debris Results & Rankings – We track 47 different items at our cleanups. Check out how many we collected and which items ranked the highest. Spoiler alert, the Top Collected Item in the #1 spot isn’t a surprise.
2021 Cleanup Results By Town – Check out how many cleanups were completed in your town and how much debris was collected.
Looking Ahead
The 2022 cleanup season is well underway with dozens of cleanups completed and over 32,000 items collected so far!
You know what they say, many hands make light work. Thank you to all our volunteers who work together to achieve these amazing results! A big shout out to Blue Ocean Society’s Cleanup Leaders, volunteers who have been trained to facilitate cleanups for groups in the community. They make it possible for us to reach over 2,000 people each year and make a big impact for marine life!
If we are all doing our part to use less plastic, produce less trash, and pick up debris when we see it in nature, together we can reduce the risk of marine life ingesting or becoming entangled in debris in our one world ocean.
Join us
Looking for a private cleanup for your school, club, company, or team? You can request a cleanup using this form here. Please request cleanups at least two weeks in advance and include at least two dates that work for your schedule.
Clean the beach in your free time. If you walk the beach in your personal time or you are looking for community service hours, you can track the items you collect from the beach as you walk. Download the Marine Debris Tracker app, make an account using your email address, and select Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation. You can also use our paper data card and mail it into us after your cleanup!
Adopt a Beach. Looking to make even bigger, sustainable impact on your local beach? By adopting a beach, you clean a beach of your choice once a month for 12 consecutive months. We are looking for folks to adopt beaches in Great Bay (near Durham) and Maine. Check out this webpage to see available sites in NH and ME and apply to adopt a beach!
Create your own cleanup. Use our cleanup planning guide, the Digital Cleanup Kit, the plan your own cleanup and use our tips to make it sustainable and successful! There is also more information about setting up the Marine Debris Tracker app in this guide.
