The Ocean Trash Index presents data on trash collected during annual coastal cleanups around the world. Volunteers have collected data through Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup since 1986 to raise awareness and inform policy solutions for ocean trash. The Index provides a single snapshot of trash found in oceans to help prevent specific items from reaching waterways. It presents state-by-state and country-by-country data on items collected, categorized by source such as shoreline activities or smoking-related waste.
The Ocean Trash Index presents data on trash collected during annual coastal cleanups around the world. Volunteers have collected data through Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup since 1986 to raise awareness and inform policy solutions for ocean trash. The Index provides a single snapshot of trash found in oceans to help prevent specific items from reaching waterways. It presents state-by-state and country-by-country data on items collected, categorized by source such as shoreline activities or smoking-related waste.
The Ocean Trash Index presents data on trash collected during annual coastal cleanups around the world. Volunteers have collected data through Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup since 1986 to raise awareness and inform policy solutions for ocean trash. The Index provides a single snapshot of trash found in oceans to help prevent specific items from reaching waterways. It presents state-by-state and country-by-country data on items collected, categorized by source such as shoreline activities or smoking-related waste.
and country-by-country data about ocean trash collected and tallied by volunteers around the world on one day each fall during Ocean Conservancys International Coastal Cleanup. Volunteers have collected data since 1986; the data are used to raise awareness and inform policy and solutions. Cleanups alone cannot solve the ocean trash problem. The Ocean Trash Index provides a single snapshot of whats trashing our ocean so we can work to prevent specific items from reaching the water in the first place. For more, visit www.oceanconservancy.org.
SPONSORS
METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH NOTES
Ocean Conservancy produces data cards in nine languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian, Thai, Swahili and Arabic. Ocean Conservancy, in conjunction with its U.S. and international volunteer Coordinators, has collected and compiled data during the International Coastal Cleanup since 1986 within the United States, and since 1989 internationally. From 1986 through 2000, Cleanup volunteers tallied debris items on standardized data cards developed and provided by Ocean Conservancy. During this time, debris was categorized by the type of material, such as wood, rubber, plastic, glass, paper and metal. In 2001, Ocean Conservancy revised and simplified the data card to include 42 specific debris items and groupings related to five debrisproducing activities and sources such as Smoking-Related Activities and Shoreline & Recreational Activities. The new groupings identify the behavior associated with the presence of debris. In 2008, Ocean Conservancy decided to tally paper and plastic bags separately, for a total of 43 items listed. The Coordinator for a country, location or U.S. state enters totals for each site into Ocean Conservancys secure Online Data Collection and Reporting Tool. Coordinators may also mail, email or fax totals to Ocean Conservancy. All data sent to Ocean Conservancy and not entered by the Coordinator are entered by Ocean Conservancy sta. The result is a unique, global online clearinghouse for ocean trash data collected from Cleanup sites around the world.
LEAD SPONSORING PARTNER
DATA ANALYSIS: Ocean Conservancy sta members analyze data,
THE COCA-COLA COMPANY
sorting it by country, location and U.S. state using reports generated
by the Online Data Collection and Reporting Tool. Country, location and U.S. state geographic designations are made using the CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ geos/uk.html. Data are also analyzed by regions determined using the UN Statistical Division, http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/ m49regin.htm. A location identified in the Ocean Trash Index refers to a geographic area that is governed by a particular country but is not in the same geographic location (for example, the Netherlands Antilles is governed by the Netherlands, but is located in a dierent geographic area). These geographic designations do not imply Ocean Conservancys opinion of the legal status of any country, territory or location, or concern the delimitation of boundaries.
WORLD OCEAN PARTNERS
BANK OF AMERICA NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION LIVING WATERS PARTNERS ALTRIA GROUP, INC. THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY LANDSHARK LAGER THE GLAD PRODUCTS COMPANY HEALTHY BAYS PARTNERS BRUNSWICK PUBLIC FOUNDATION TEVA RIVERS AND STREAMS PARTNERS BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON ITW O-I U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY OUTREACH PARTNERS EARTH DAY NETWORK KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL PROJECT AWARE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
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LIMITATIONS OF THE DATA: Volunteersnot paid sta or
researcherscollect data while cleaning up on a single day. Although Ocean Conservancy produces data cards in nine languages, a language barrier could exist for some volunteers. The data represented in this report are only what was shared with Ocean Conservancy; if all participating locations reported data, totals could be higher. Weather events can impact Cleanups and may decrease data return for a certain country, location or U.S. state.
INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA: Data collected document
what was removed from a certain location, on a certain day, by volunteers. The data provide the most comprehensive and measurable global snapshot of ocean trash, as well as a breakdown of sources and trash items found in U.S. states, countries, locations and regions of the world. Due to the large sample and nature of the collection, the data provide a baseline for other studies. This valuable information is an eective tool for educating the public, businesses, industry and government ocials about the presence of ocean trash, and how and where to take specific actions to prevent it.
TERMINOLOGY LAND CLEANUP
PEOPLE OR VOLUNTEERS
A Cleanup that was conducted on a beach or inland waterway.
The Coordinator counts people (volunteers) at a Cleanup site and then
totals numbers for each country, location or U.S. state, and sends the numbers to Ocean Conservancy.