PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Did you know more than 17 billion pounds of plastic enter our oceans every year? Everyone pays a price for this. Our marine life is threatened, along with human health and local economies. If we continue at this rate, scientists estimate that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. The next question is: What can you do about it? The answer is quite simple.
On Sept. 18, you can join tens of thousands of people around the world for International Coastal Cleanup Day. The annual effort, now in its 38th year, is the world’s largest, volunteer event to clean up the marine environment and raise awareness for this issue.
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Volunteers will also use data collection to catalog and tally what they find. Through this effort, the Ocean Conservancy can obtain a clear snapshot of the quantity and types of marine debris littering coasts and waterways around the world. This valuable information can serve multiple purposes from assisting in the enforcement of regulations against illegal dumping to influencing industries to create safer, more environmentally-friendly products.
Local 10 anchor and environmental advocate Louis Aguirre will join VolunteerCleanup.org, which organizes Miami’s regional cleanup effort, to eliminate debris that contaminates our beautiful beaches and injures wildlife.
Through WPLG Local 10′s weekly segment Don’t Trash Our Treasure, Aguirre has exposed this issue and resolved to make a difference.
There are more than 50 International Coastal Cleanup Day sites in Miami-Dade County alone. To find the one nearest you and register, visit volunteercleanup.org.