6,000 Volunteers Clear 170,000 Pieces of Trash in New Jersey

More than 6,000 people spent a day transforming New Jersey's beaches, proving that community action can create real change for our oceans.

The 41st Annual Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweep brought together families, businesses, and environmental advocates to tackle trash along 130 miles of coastline. Volunteers collected nearly 170,000 pieces of debris in just one day, with plastic making up 83% of what they found.

Among the usual suspects like bottles and wrappers, cleanup crews discovered some surprising items. A wedding ring, a whole watermelon, and a full quart of milk were among the strangest finds littering the shore.

Vantage Apparel, a clothing supplier based in Avenel, New Jersey, served as a statewide sponsor and brought its own team of volunteers. CEO Rob Watson said the event hit close to home for his employees and their families who live along the coast.

"This event is more than just doing something good for the planet," Watson said. "It's a chance to make a visible impact and contribute to something larger than ourselves."

The cleanup does double duty beyond just removing trash. Clean Ocean Action, a coalition of 125 community groups, uses data from each event to identify pollution trends and push for stronger environmental policies across the region.

The Ripple Effect

Vantage's commitment extends beyond the annual cleanup day. The company has donated more than $30,000 to Clean Ocean Action as part of its pledge to 1% for the Planet.

Their Earthwise Collection turns recycled plastic bottles into high-quality clothing, keeping more than 1.8 million bottles from ever reaching the ocean. Each piece of apparel in the line is made from Repreve, a polyester yarn created entirely from recycled materials.

The company's sustainability efforts earned them a Bronze medal from EcoVadis, a platform that measures corporate environmental responsibility and social impact.

Beaches where children take their first steps and millions vacation each year are now cleaner thanks to thousands of people who chose to spend their day making a difference.