Alabama's Debris History
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The Alabama Coastal Cleanup is part of an international effort to remove marine debris from coastal waters. Alabama joined this effort in 1987. Since then 48,446 volunteers in Alabama have removed a total of 902,242 pounds of debris and cleaned 2,847 miles of coast. The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is the largest single-day volunteer event for the marine environment. Part of this unique experience is data collection. After years of collecting data on the specific types of marine debris being found, ICC data now focuses on the activities that cause the debris. The Ocean Conservancy compiles, analyzes, and tracks this data year-by-year and site-to-site to identify the activities and general sources of the debris in a region, state, or country.
ACTIVITIES THAT PRODUCE MARINE DEBRIS
Recreational and Shoreline Activities - Debris from beachgoers, picnics, sports and games, festivals, as well as litter washed from streets, parking lots, and storm drains.
Ocean/Waterway Activities - Debris from recreational fishing and boating; commercial fishing; cargo, military, and cruise ships; and offshore industries such as oil drilling.
Smoking Related Activities - The littering of cigarette filters, cigar tips, and tobacco products packaging is common on land and sea.
Dumping Activities - Debris from legal and illegal dumping of building material or large household items.
Medical/Personal Hygiene - This debris can be left by beachgoers as well as disposed of improperly into toilets and city streets. Because medical and hygiene debris often enters the waste stream through sewer systems, its presence on the beach can indicate the presence of other, unseen pollutants.
Source: The Ocean Conservancy, Virginia Beach, VA "2003 International Coastal Cleanup, Alabama Summery Report," pg. 8
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