Thousands Join April 11 Beach Cleanup Across New Jersey

Thousands of volunteers will fan out across New Jersey's coastline next month, armed with gloves and reusable bags, ready to give their beaches a fresh start before summer arrives.

Clean Ocean Action's annual Beach Sweeps event returns Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. More than 80 beaches will host cleanup efforts, bringing together families, students, environmental groups, and residents who want to protect the waters they love.

The nonprofit organization has been coordinating these cleanups since the 1980s, creating one of the longest-running beach restoration initiatives in the region. Over the decades, hundreds of thousands of volunteers have removed millions of pieces of debris from New Jersey's shoreline.

In Belmar, volunteers will meet at beach entrances on Third Avenue and Fifteenth Avenue before spreading out to collect litter. The event welcomes participants of all ages, making it an easy way for families to spend a spring morning together while making a real difference.

Volunteers do more than just pick up trash. They also document what they find, creating valuable data that helps environmental advocates track pollution trends and identify where marine debris originates.

The Ripple Effect

The most common items collected tell an important story about everyday waste. Discarded plastics, food wrappers, fishing line, and cigarette butts regularly wash up on Jersey Shore beaches, threatening to enter the ocean where they can harm marine life and damage coastal ecosystems.

By removing this debris before it reaches the water, volunteers directly protect sea turtles, fish, and seabirds from ingesting or becoming entangled in human waste. Each piece of litter removed represents one less hazard for wildlife and one more step toward healthier oceans.

The cleanup also builds awareness in powerful ways. When people see firsthand how much litter accumulates on beaches, they often become more mindful about their own consumption and disposal habits, creating positive change that extends far beyond cleanup day.

Registration is available online ahead of time, or volunteers can simply show up the morning of April 11. Organizers recommend dressing for the weather, wearing sturdy shoes suitable for walking on sand, and bringing reusable gloves if possible.

With beach season approaching, this spring cleaning effort gives New Jersey's coastline the care it deserves while bringing neighbors together around a shared goal: protecting these beautiful shores for generations to come.