Community Service By: Elyssa Creef

What is the problem? People go to beach everyday and leave their garbage behind when they leave. The garbage is then eaten by the animals that live on the beaches and the marine life in the water. The animals can die from chocking on the trash by ingesting it or having it get stuck around there necks. Ships also dump trash into the water that washes up on our shores like large objects that can harm humans when they enjoy a swim in the water.

How I did I help? I helped by picking up the trash around Jennette’s Pier. I picked up plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic ribbons, wood, and styrofoam. This helped the beach look better and helps keep the wildlife safe from being entangled or being chocked by the trash.

What did I learn? I learned how much that trash really impacts the environment and the wildlife. I also learned through research that boats dump trash into to the ocean instead of properly disposing of it that can endanger humans and wildlife.

Was the Service Worthwhile? This service was worthwhile because I felt like I actually made a difference in the way the beach looks and made the environment a better place for the wildlife that lives on our beaches. I would recommend this service to people because it helps our community by enhancing the appearance of our beaches. It also helps save animals lives, while being able to enjoy the outdoors when doing this service.

The Trash From 1988 to 2001 more then 40,011 beverage cans, 3562 chemical containers, 16,935 plastic bottles where dumped into the ocean. Birds, turtles, and even whales then eat this trash and are chocked, poisoned, or make the animal think they are full when this "food" has no nutritional value. Animals can also get entangled in trash as well. Not only animals can be hurt be this trash people while swimming may also be at risk of being badly injured by debris.

The Effort to Stop In the early 1980’s the littered beaches around American gained the public’s attention. Off the shores of New Jersey and New York medical waste was washing up on shore. The public was not happy about seeing this while being at the beach and in 1988 the federal Medical Waste Tracking Act was put it to affect as well as subsequent federal and state laws designed to better regulate the handling, treatment, transportation, and disposal of medical waste. Today there are littering fines and “beach sweeps” to help to stop littering.

Cited Amos, Anthony F. "Pollution of the Ocean by Plastic and Trash." Water Encyclopedia. NP, Web. 18 Mar