By The Star Staff
The Scuba Dogs Society invited volunteers from Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities on Monday to be part of positive change in the 39th International Coastal Cleanup, the largest volunteer effort in the world to remove and record trash from coasts and bodies of water.
The event, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21, is led globally by Ocean Conservancy, while in Puerto Rico it has been organized locally for 22 years by the Scuba Dogs Society (SDS). Volunteers will be able to register through the link: https://scubadogssociety.org/registro-de-voluntarios.
The family-friendly and inclusive event is open to anyone who can contribute to cleaning the island’s shores and waterways. An adult must accompany children under 17 years old. Participants will obtain certificates for four hours of green contact or community service.
“The International Coastal Cleanup shows us that every piece of trash we collect locally counts and leads to a global impact,” said María Ocasio Torres, executive director of SDS. “This year, we want to invite more volunteers than ever to join us in this crucial mission to protect our coasts and the life that lives on them.”
Volunteers in Puerto Rico will contribute to the world’s largest trash database by recording the trash they collect in the award-winning Clean Swell app. Scientists, researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers committed to the environment and public health rely on Ocean Conservancy’s Ocean Trash Index to formulate policies and solve the growing trash crisis.
In the past year, cleanup data has been used to advocate for a ban on balloon launches in Florida, the introduction of the Farewell to Foam Act in the U.S. Congress, the Global Plastics Treaty and the law banning single-use plastics in Puerto Rico.
In 2023, volunteers collected and logged more than 70,000 pounds of trash on Puerto Rico’s shorelines, with items such as cigarette butts, plastic bottles and food wrappers among the most common.
“Plastic pollution is one of the biggest threats to our oceans, but together we can make a big difference,” said Allison Schutes, global director of the International Coastal Cleanup. “No matter where you are, every bottle, straw, and piece of trash you pick up as part of the International Coastal Cleanup connects you to a global movement for a healthy ocean. We appreciate the efforts of the Scuba Dogs Society and all the volunteers in Puerto Rico, and we look forward to another successful year.”
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