The Ocean Conservancy said on Tuesday, 14 May that the Dominican Republic was among the top countries of a total of 97 in terms of coastline trash collection on Coastal Clean-Up Day 1 September to 31 October. In total, the program collected more than 10 million pounds of trash in participating countries, as volunteers combed 17,719 miles of coastline. The success of the cleanup reflects a concern among Dominicans about the health and wellbeing of beaches, sea and ocean and is a testament to the local organizational effort. Local environmental group Vida Azul organizes the clean-up day in the Dominican Republic.
Nicholas Mallos, Ocean Conservancy’s marine debris specialist called on people to tackle trash at every point, encouraging recycling for human consumption and industrial use.
The 10 countries where most trash was collected (in order) were: the United States, the Philippines, Canada, Hong Kong, Dominican Republic, Mexico, India, Peru, Ecuador and Puerto Rico. Conservancy International said that the top 10 items found were: cigarettes/cigarette filters, food wrappers/containers, beverage bottles (plastic and glass), bags (plastic), caps/lids, cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons, straws/stirrers, beverage cans, bags.