Guidelines on Coordinating Cleanups
Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup began in 1986 with a handful of volunteers collecting trash along the Texas coast. Thirty (30) years later, it has grown into the largest global volunteer effort on behalf of the ocean. In the 2019 Cleanup, 943,915 people participated with events held in 116 countries and locations around the globe. As the event has grown in popularity, several locations have begun hosting events year-round.
Local, state and international Coordinators are the backbone of the Cleanup and have been instrumental in its growth and organization. Year after year, the success of the Cleanup depends on their generous contributions of time and resources – as well as those of their organizations – in this global effort.
Today, there are more than 140 Coordinators worldwide. “The Coordinators are a testament to the difference people can make when they make a commitment to ocean health,” said Sonya Besteiro, former Associate Director of the International Coastal Cleanup. “Their continued dedication to the Cleanup is responsible for the event’s growth and the elevated awareness around ocean trash and its impacts.”
Coordinators are responsible for identifying Cleanup sites, mobilizing volunteers, organizing site logistics and materials, and engaging journalists.
After all the trash has been collected, Coordinators ensure that it has been tallied on the Ocean Trash Data Form so that data are ready to be analyzed by Ocean Conservancy's team of scientists and marine debris experts.