Connecticut’s coastal cleanup removes 8,756 lbs of trash

Through the 2013 International Coastal Cleanup, 1,554 volunteers visited 44 Connecticut beaches and cleaned 8,756 lbs of trash, according to data released Wednesday by Save the Sound and Ocean Controversy partnership. 

The cleanups covered 68.95 miles of the Connecticut coastline from Greenwich to Mystic, with volunteers from schools, rotary clubs, religious organizations, environmental groups, scout troops, and beyond.

The cleanup provides the public, researchers, and the government with a hand in tackling ocean pollution. Much of the pollution includes items such as straws, cigarette butts, plastic bags, bottle caps, and beverage containers. 

Save the Sound, a New Haven environmental advocacy group, has coordinated coastal cleanups in Connecticut for the past 12 years.