Butt out

Cigarettes Continue to Trash Rhode Island’s Beaches

By ecoRI.org News staff

Volunteers Axel Perez and Perry Maltese at Pebble Beach
in Bristol last September. (Audubon Society of Rhode Island)

Volunteers again picked up more cigarette butts off Rhode Island beaches than any other item of trash during the annual International Coastal Cleanup, according to the Audubon Society of Rhode Island.

Last September, Audubon organized 1,188 volunteers who headed to the beach with work gloves and trash bags to participate in one of the largest global volunteer efforts. They picked up nearly 6 tons of trash over 68 miles of shoreline. Cigarette butts were again the No. 1 item tallied, followed by plastic pieces, food wrappers and bottle caps.

Since 1986, when the Washington, D.C.-based Ocean Conservancy organized a national and international coastal cleanup, cigarette butts have been the top item on the effort’s annual Top 10 List, which highlights the most persistent items of ocean trash found globally. This data is published in an annual report that draws attention to marine debris and provides background for both state and national policy decisions that address the problem at its source.

“The Coastal Cleanup started in Rhode Island in 1985, a year before the national clean-up program began,” said Eugenia Marks, senior director of policy for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. “Audubon started with five sites and made their own trash tally sheet. The experience gave us a picture of the illegal dumping of household waste that was occurring along the shore. We counted tires, disposable diapers, plastic six-pack rings, pop-top can openers, and the usual suspects of today’s collections such as cigarette butts.”

Audubon fought for legislation to protect the environment based on the findings from these cleanups. Laws were passed requiring six-pack bottle holders to be biodegradable and soda cans were re-designed so as not to have a pull-off tab. Audubon also ran campaigns about how to properly dispose of disposable diapers.

Volunteers will again hit the beaches this fall for the 2014 International Coastal Cleanup, but this time a new organization will be taking the local reins.

“After a long and successful association with the International Coastal Cleanup, Audubon will no longer be the coordinator for this program organized by the Ocean Conservancy,” said Lawrence Taft, executive director of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. “Due to an extensive and thorough strategic planning process ... we have come to the conclusion that in order for us to effectively carry out our mission of protecting bird and wildlife habitats, we must focus our finite resources. While the International Coastal Cleanup positively contributes to the health of birds and marine mammals, we decided that this specific program would fit better with one of our allied partner organizations. That’s why I’m pleased to announce that Save The Bay has agreed to take on the coordination of International Coastal Cleanup beginning this year.”

“Audubon would like to thank all the volunteers in these almost 30 years of sweeping the beaches. These individuals have given so much to the effort of reducing waste on our shores. They are our ocean’s heroes.”

Here is the Top 10 List of debris collected on Ocean State beaches during the 2013 International Coastal Cleanup:

1. Cigarette butts

2. Plastic pieces
3. Food wrappers
4. Bottle caps
5. Foam pieces
6. Straws
7. Bottles
8. Cans
9. Glass
10. Plastic bags

Random items: Hula-Hoop; wedding ring; hair extensions; rearview mirror; Crockpot.