Ocean City will launch a new pilot program with a community beach cleanup starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 12, at Surf Road Beach.
Beachgoers will be able to borrow specially designed bags to pick up trash or collect shells while enjoying their time at the beach. The bags are crafted to allow sand to sift through but gather small litter such as plastic straws, bottle caps, microplastics and Styrofoam.
The program was envisioned by a group of Ocean City residents concerned with plastic pollution and other litter in our coastal environment.
Starting on Saturday and continuing through the year, beachgoers will be able to pick up the new bags from boxes placed near the beach entrances at Surf Road, 29th Street and 59th Street. Users will be asked to deposit any trash they collect in containers at beach entrances or street ends, then return the bags to the boxes.
“I often found myself on daily beach walks with pockets full of trash,” Valeria Oliva said. “Sometimes I had a bag with me, other times not. It became clear that having bags readily available for everyone could keep our beaches cleaner—and that’s when we decided to make it happen. We are thrilled to launch this initiative and empower our beachgoers to take action.”
Volunteers are invited to learn more and join in the kickoff event at 9 a.m. Saturday at Surf Road Beach. The program is sponsored by the Ocean City Public Works Department with funding from the N.J. Clean Communities Program.
The event is being held in conjunction with the annual statewide Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweeps to help keep our beaches clean and safe and to protect our coastal environment. Volunteers are also encouraged to join in the semi-annual beach cleanup in Ocean City from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12. Register at cleanoceanaction.org and pick up supplies at the Ocean City Music Pier (Boardwalk at Moorlyn Terrace) before heading out.
