Save The Bay—the environmental advocacy and watchdog organization for Narragansett Bay and its watershed—recently published a report documenting the findings of the 2024 Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) in Rhode Island.

During last year’s cleanup effort, 2,733 local volunteers collected 114,914 total pieces of trash, including 25,276 single-use beverage containers from Rhode Island shores. Other collected trash items include: 12,931 plastic-foam pieces, 26,637 cigarette butts/tobacco products, 3,126 fishing/boating-related items (lines, nets, traps, foam docks pieces).

Save The Bay points out that single-use plastic containers continue to be a major source of pollution in the state, and urges Rhode Islanders to support legislation that would encourage recycling.

“The best way to reduce the amount of single-use plastic containers that are polluting our bay and local ecosystem is for Rhode Island to adopt a recycling refund system for beverage containers, also known as a ’bottle bill’,” said Jed Thorp, director of advocacy for Save The Bay. “Recycling refund systems have been proven—with decades of data—to reduce litter and increase recycling rates.”

The complete Rhode Island International Coastal Cleanup Report can be viewed and downloaded from Save The Bay’s website at savebay.org/publications.

If you’re interested in participating in Save The Bay’s shoreline cleanup program, visit the organization’s Volunteer Portal.