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DNREC's Coastal Cleanup removed 2.7 tons of trash

Delaware Public Media
A previous year's Coastal Cleanup

More than 1,100 volunteers turned out for the 31st annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup hosted by DNREC in September.

 

Officials say 2.7 tons of trash and recyclables were removed from sites along waterways and coastline between Wilmington and Fenwick Island.

That included nearly 22,000 pieces of food and beverage-related trash.

Officials say the numbers for most trash items were down, but volunteers saw more plastic straws, lids and bottle caps than last year.

Strange finds included a dishwasher, a message in a bottle from 2007 and a Rubik’s Cube.

DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin said in a statement that the annual Coastal Cleanup “helps make a difference for marine life and water quality.”

Next year’s Cleanup is scheduled for Sept. 14. Large groups can pre-register starting in May.

 

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.
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