By Rocio Ortega, D.O.V.E. Assistant

Time for a cleanup! A few of our Greenheart staff members donned some sunglasses and hit the beach to partner with the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Read on for some fun facts about beach cleanups and the role you play as a litterbug detective.  

Fun Facts

• Litter on the beach such as cigarettes, food wrappers, and plastic bags can severely affect marine life. Wildlife can become entangled in debris and plastics release dangerous chemicals and toxins.
• Cigarette butts, the leading pollutant found on our beaches, take a minimum of one year to break down.
• The first statewide beach cleanup happened in 1984 in Oregon. The event was called the “Plague of Plastics.” Over two-thousand volunteers removed 26.3 tons of debris.
• In 1993, California Coastal Cleanup Day was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “largest garbage collection” ever organized, with 50,405 volunteers.

What We Found

• 190 plastic pieces
  
• 180 cigarettes
• 50 plastic bottles
• 49 glass pieces
• 25 plastic grocery bags

Greenheart Thought Bubble

What was your favorite part about the beach clean up?

“My favorite part was seeing other community members get involved. There was a little girl that started to help us clean the beach and we talked to her about Camp Greenheart.”
– Katy Smithy, CCI Greenheart

“My favorite part was the ‘before’ and ‘after.’ I loved seeing the impact that we as a group made to help beautify the best city in the world!”
– Amber Hayes, CCI Greenheart

Why is volunteering important to you?

“Volunteering is important because it allows us to give back to our community. I think we as a society forget that even the smallest of efforts can make a difference, so long as we just make some time to do it.”
– Rosie Powers, Greenheart International

“Volunteering is important to me because it brings me closer to my community. The support my community gives me encourages me to continue giving back. I also love all the connections that are made through volunteering and all the kindness everyone shares with one another.”
– Elyse Voyen, Greenheart International

“In demonstrating this love for our community through volunteering, others who observe us may be more likely to do the same themselves in the future.”
– Lindsay McEachern, CCI Greenheart

What are some other community service volunteering ideas?

• “Host a blood drive for the Red Cross or do canvassing for them to talk to low-income communities about disaster preparedness.”
• “There’s a really cool urban farm called City Farm that allows people to volunteer in groups. They’re one of the more established community garden and composting programs in Chicago and a lot of their produce goes to local farmers markets.”
• “Visit a community center like a senior citizen home or after school program.”
• “Walk dogs at your local animal shelter!”

How can I help keep our beaches clean?

• If you’re at a beach or on a boat, make sure you’re keeping an eye on your trash so that the wind thief doesn’t carry it away.
• Be a litterbug detective. If you see any trash lying around, pick up a few pieces to toss away.
• Put away that plastic. Instead of using plastic bags to bring your snacks, use reusable bags and containers.
• Save yourself some $$ by bringing along your own reusable water bottle.

Don’t forget to be a Greenheart leader in your own community. When you do good, you inspire others to do some good too.