First cleanup to be held Aug. 17; 49 more scheduled across state
New Haven, CT – Over 50 cleanups are already scheduled between August and October for Save the Sound’s 2024 Connecticut Cleanup season. This massive volunteer effort prevents thousands of pounds of litter and waste from polluting the Long Island Sound watershed each year.
“These events bring me hope and offer one tangible solution,” says longtime West Haven cleanup captain, Robert Marra, when reflecting on the impact of regular coastal and inland cleanups.
Cleanup captains are essential to the success of this yearly effort. They plan cleanups at inland and coastal locations across the state, recruit volunteers, and host the events, while Save the Sound’s cleanup coordinators provide all materials. You can register to be a cleanup captain for this year’s cleanup season here.
During the past seven years, cleanup captains and volunteers have collected over half a million pieces of trash, gathering data on trash types and amounts along the way. When this data is compared yearly, it paints a clear picture of trash trends throughout the state of Connecticut, which Save the Sound uses to advocate for policies that stop trash at its source. This year’s cleanup report illustrates the impact and importance of this massive effort. The data is also shared with Ocean Conservancy, which compiled a global report on the yield of each International Coastal Cleanup Day.
“The environmental benefits of cleanups are numerous,” Save the Sound cleanup coordinator Annalisa Paltauf says, “from making sure litter doesn’t enter the water to preventing discarded fishing lines from entangling wildlife and removing items that can leach chemicals into the ground and our waterways.”
This year, the Connecticut Cleanup is generously supported by Subaru of New England, FactSet Charitable Foundation, HMTX, Barrett Outdoor Communications, Beiersdorf, Neuberger Berman, and PKF O’Connor Davies. We thank them, as well as our other corporate sponsors and the individual donors who keep this program alive year after year.
“We are committed to leaving a legacy of protecting and conserving the earth for future generations by actively working to reduce waste, conserve resources, and preserve natural spaces,” says Jeffrey Ruble, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager at Subaru of New England, a six year sponsor of the cleanup program.
This year’s cleanup season will kick off on Saturday, August 17 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. for a cleanup in partnership with Connecticut Sea Grant at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.
Members of the public can register to volunteer at one of our already scheduled public cleanups for the season here and check back in as the cleanup list continues to grow.