Join Oct. 24 Beach Sweeps on Long Beach Island for a Cleaner Coast

Clean Ocean Action’s Beach Sweeps take place at more than 80 locations across the state every fall and spring, with Alliance for a Living Ocean coordinating the annual beach cleanup event here on Long Beach Island. To join this year’s autumnal effort, register online at givebutter.com/beach-sweeps-fall-2026, then stop by Wally’s Restaurant in Surf City at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24 to pick up buckets, gloves and a form to log all litter collected.

Participants can clean the ocean or bay beach anywhere on LBI, then return their data sheet to ALO by 12:15 p.m.

For more than 40 years, the Beach Sweeps program has empowered thousands of volunteers to dedicate their time to protecting the coast.

“Together, volunteers have removed 8,937,888-plus pieces of debris from New Jersey beaches while helping inform and influence public policy,” said Evan Leong, COA communications and marketing director.

“What begins as a morning of service becomes a statewide dataset that helps drive meaningful change,” he continued. “Beach Sweeps data has contributed to policies such as the 2022 ‘Get Past Plastic’ law and the 2026 ‘Skip the Stuff’ law, both of which work to reduce single-use plastics and harmful plastic pollution. As plastic litter and microplastic contamination continue to threaten ocean ecosystems, marine life and human health, Beach Sweeps gives communities across New Jersey a hands-on way to be part of the solution.”

As ALO notes, “A little time and teamwork go a long way toward protecting our beaches, wildlife and coastal environment.”

Learn more about the data collected last year by viewing the 2025 Beach Sweeps Annual Report at cleanoceanaction.org/beach-sweeps-report-2025.

ALO encourages Beach Sweeps volunteers to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring a reusable water bottle.

In addition, participants are encouraged to bring any unused beach toys with them, as the nonprofit is collecting gently used items for its Toy Box Initiative, “giving them a second life in our community beach toy boxes instead of sending them to the landfill.”