Bizarre items found in NJ beach trash cleanup
Recycling trash bins on the beach in Stone Harbor, N.J. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
NEW JERSEY - Volunteers picked up a record 513,605 items during beach sweeps in New Jersey last year including several unusual finds.
Among them were a full set of dentures, a hunk of hair, a yearbook, pieces of a globe, a Turkish Airlines hygiene kit, Amazon packages, a showerhead, a weather vane, a wicker light fixture, water testing equipment, an art easel, and a pickup truck running board.
Other items include glow-in-the-dark condoms, a used Narcan kit, and male enhancement pills.
The report is put out every Spring to promote the annual event, which will be held on April 9, 2022. Last year more than 10,000 volunteers did beach sweeps at more than 70 locations over a period of 6 hours.
Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app! | Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters
The site locations are from Perth Amboy to Cape May with additional sites along the Delaware River and in Northern NJ. Over the years, 157,863 volunteers have contributed 947,178 volunteer hours to remove and record debris from NJ’s beaches and waterways, according to Clean Ocean Action.
The group says the data collected provides hard evidence about the scope and magnitude of the marine debris problem.
The report cited large numbers of certain items:
- Cotton swab sticks: 274
- Dental floss picks: 2,172
- Disposable wipes: 1,523
- Dog waste bags: 1,667
- E-cigarette cartridges/caps/pens: 3,686
- Plastic food takeout containers: 2,020
- Disposable face masks: 3,080
- Reusable face masks: 538
- Disposable gloves: 1,310
The group says that 82% of all debris collected was plastic, including foam.