Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

The Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup is a conservation initiative of the Ocean Wise Conservation Association. Shoreline Cleanups offer a unique opportunity for anyone to take action and make a positive impact in their community alongside friends, family, or colleagues. By participating in a cleanup anywhere water meets land, people can help reduce the amount of litter that ends up in our ocean. Additionally, the litter data collected by volunteers during the cleanup provides Ocean Wise and partners with essential information for addressing pollution at its source.

Volunteers collect and catalogue litter which is then collected for analysis about sources of garbage that enter the ocean. For example, in 2011, 1,665 shoreline cleanup sites were claimed and a collective length of 3,144 km were cleaned, bringing in roughly 144 metric tonnes of garbage.

History
In 1994, employees and volunteers at the Vancouver Aquarium decided to clean up a beach in Stanley Park in Vancouver, to protect the city’s shorelines. From that first cleanup, the program expanded across British Columbia and by 1997, 400 volunteers were participating in the Great B.C. Beach Cleanup at 20 sites.

The program became a national conservation initiative in 2002 with a partnership with WWF Canada. Shoreline Cleanups started appearing in every province and territory as the 'Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup'. By 2003, more than 20,000 volunteers were taking part every year. Public support grew as Canadians became more aware of the harmful effects of shoreline litter on ecosystems, wildlife and people.

In 2017, the Vancouver Aquarium expanded to become Ocean Wise, a global conservation organization focused on protecting and restoring our ocean and in 2020 Ocean Wise sold the Aquarium. Now, one of several conservation programs at Ocean Wise, Shoreline Cleanup has grown into one of the largest direct action conservation programs in Canada...and has expanded into the United States. In 2020 Ocean Wise hosted its first Shoreline Cleanup in California, paving the way for future international growth.

In addition to cleaning our shorelines and connecting people with nature, Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanups collect powerful data that helps address waste at its source. By joining us in your community you can make a difference close to home and around the globe.

How it works
This program encourages people across North America - wherever water meets land - to make a positive difference on their environment. Since 1994, more than 1,000,000 volunteers have registered to clean up thousands of kilometres of shoreline. Together, they have removed over 2,000,000 kilograms of litter from Canada's shorelines. Participants are encouraged to register to clean up a specific site in advance, or volunteers can join a cleanup that's already been registered.

Participants can choose from a list of past cleanup sites or they can add a new location to the database. Eligible shorelines are areas where land meets water, which include but are not limited to oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, ponds and wetlands.

Shoreline litter data
Every piece of trash removed from a shoreline means one less piece of trash to pollute our oceans and threaten our marine life. With the Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup, every piece of trash collected also becomes an important piece of data that informs governments, ocean advocates and businesses. This data has advanced single-use plastic bans, informed choices by food and beverage companies and supported municipal litter policies.

Shoreline litter can become aquatic litter and marine debris. Marine debris is a major pollution problem affecting every waterway.

Items found along the shoreline
A cleanup of any shoreline will reveal some unexpected discoveries. Over the years, participants have hauled out vehicles, hotel safes, bikes, mattresses, couches, computer equipment and more. Perhaps even more shocking are the smaller items - cigarette butts and plastic pieces frequently top the annual Dirty Dozen list of 12 typically most-found items during cleanups.

The 2022 Dirty Dozen