The Beach Sweep: Cleaning Up The Shore

The problem of pollution on the beaches in our area is an ongoing issue, and Clean Ocean Action will be holding a “Beach Sweep” on Saturday, April 26th from 9 AM to 12:30 PM. The objective being to clean the beaches prior to the busy summer tourism season on the New Jersey Shore.

The full list of times and meeting points is available on their website: www.cleanoceanaction.org for all the details. I know the Sandy Hook group is meeting at The Sea Gulls Nest that day to begin the cleaning effort.

In my view, this event is particularly relevant in light of the news reports surrounding all the debris found in the ocean relative to the extensive search for the missing Malaysian airliner. The tremendous amounts of garbage and pollutions found in our waters during this incredible search have been very distressing.

Plastic Pollution

The most troublesome pollutant in the ocean is plastics, they are not biodegradable, but rather plastics break down into smaller pieces over hundreds of years. The fragments inherent in some plastic products are too miniscule for the filtration systems in the wastewater treatment plants to be able to catch and contain.

Therefore, those plastic particles end up on the beaches and in the open ocean causing health issues for marine life and for our environment. These particles can be mistaken for food and ingested causing problems in the aquatic ecosystem.

The cosmetic industry is also partially responsible for the increase in plastic particles in the ocean and on beaches. The use of microbeads in products such as facial cleansers, soaps, and even some toothpastes contribute to the deposits of huge amounts of small plastic particles into the ocean.

The beads are designed to be rinsed down the drain, and they break down to even smaller pieces which bypass the water treatment filters and enter the ecosystem. The publication, Mother Jones, reported that one tube containing 4.2 ounces of facial cleanser has 356,000 microbeads present within it.

In fair balance, the cosmetic industry has pledged to take action to remove the beads from their products. Some of the companies involved have provided timelines for this objective to be met. In the case of Procter & Gamble they have committed to the removal of microbeads within 3 years of when they were discovered to cause pollution in 2012. The company received criticism from many groups at the delayed process for the formula changes needed to remove the microbeads.

Take Action

In my own experience, as a lifelong resident of the New Jersey Shore, I have seen firsthand the harmful effects of pollution over the years. I remember as a boy back in the 1980s not being able to swim in the ocean because of the medical waste and other pollutants.

I have witnessed fish and other marine life washing up dead on the beach from the harmful effects of pollution in our waters. I have pulled up soda cans and water bottles while swimming in the waters of Sandy Hook and Sea Bright.

If these images upset you, then please take action by helping at the Beach Sweep, by contacting Clean Ocean Action, or by getting involved in your local community to raise awareness of the dangers inherent in plastics and other pollution.

I also recommend that the next time you wash your face, check if the product contains microbeads, and consider an alternative product that does not contain these troublesome components.

The beaches and the ocean are an integral part of the Shore communities in New Jersey, it is our responsibility to make sure they remain a safe and clean place for us all both now and in the future.