Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweeps Set For This Weekend In And Around Berkeley

In the 1970s, there was a television ad that depicted a stream choked with trash – aluminum cans and old tires, among other things – and the ad would cut away at the end to a Native American man with a tear running down his cheek.

The ads, of course, urged people not to litter, because of what it was doing to the environment.

If those ads were done today in New Jersey, the Indian would be a Lenni Lenape, and he’d be standing on a shoreline choked with plastic bottles and caps, because those are the most commonly discarded items on the beaches of the Jersey Shore, according to Clean Ocean Action.

Clean Ocean Action’s twice-yearly beach sweeps are set for Saturday morning beginning at 9 a.m. at sites up and down the coast, from Sandy Hook to Cape May, as well as some inland sites.

They’ve become an annual rite of spring – a rite the group wishes was unneeded, as it continues to promote its message of protecting the marine environment by recycling and disposing of trash properly.

In the 2011 beach sweeps, more than 7,500 volunteers collected more than 450,000 pieces of debris, from plastic bottle caps and straws to the far more odd items like cell phones, fake vampire teeth, TVs, a prosthetic leg and even an adult-sized Elmo costume, according to the group’s annual report on the sweeps.

“Plastic, including foam, represents 83 percent of the total waste found in 2011,” the group’s website notes. “It is clear: disposable plastic items continue to litter beaches, threaten marine life, and impact water quality.”

This spring’s sweeps, which run until noon, also fall the day before Earth Day, which some towns are marking with events promoting environmental awareness. 

While many of those who volunteer for the beach sweeps arrive in groups who have registered ahead of time, Clean Ocean Action volunteers willingly accept individuals or groups who walk up to a site on Saturday morning to participate.

While many of those who volunteer for the beach sweeps arrive in groups who have registered ahead of time, Clean Ocean Action volunteers willingly accept individuals or groups who walk up to a site on Saturday morning to participate.

Here’s a list of sites in Ocean County where cleanups are being held. Volunteers are usually on site by 8:30 a.m. to begin handing out bags and tally sheets – where you can keep track of the litter you collect. The complete list of sites can be found here.

OCEAN COUNTY LOCATIONS

Bay Head: Central Market, Route 35 and Mount Street

Beachwood: Public Beach, Compass Avenue on the Toms River

Brick: Brick Beach III on Route 35 North, next to Ocean Club and across from Bayside Park

Lavallette: Philadelphia Avenue beach

Mantoloking: Lyman Avenue beach

Normandy Beach: Meet at Labrador Lounge at Peterson Street and Route 35 North

Ocean Gate: Wildwood Avenue Pier

Ortley Beach: Third Avenue beach

Point Pleasant: Maxson Avenue and River Avenue beaches

Point Pleasant Beach (2 sites): 1. beach in front of Jenkinson's Aquarium on the Boardwalk   2. Maryland Avenue Beach

Seaside Heights (2 sites): 1. Grant Avenue on the boardwalk; 2. Bayside boat launch along Route 35 South

Seaside Park (5 sites): 1. Stockton Avenue on the boardwalk; 2. Second Avenue; 3. Midway Beach at 6th Lane; 4. Island Beach State Park Bathing Pavilion 1; 5. 14th. Avenue and South Bayview Avenue