Since launching on Earth Day 2023, dozens of beaches have been “BeFriended” at our monthly cleanups—from Philbin and Squibnocket to Inkwell, South Beach, Lambert’s Cove, Eastville, State Beach, Lobsterville, and beyond. Together, volunteers have collected, documented, and safely disposed of hundreds of pounds of marine debris.
Thank you to everyone who has pitched in!
How It Works
Beach BeFrienders is a collaboration between VCS, Island libraries, town DPWs, and dozens of dedicated volunteers. There are two ways to participate:
Join a scheduled cleanup
A volunteer host will be at the beach with bags and gloves, and will take care of trash disposal. To see
DIY cleanup
Grab a free beach clean-up kit today from any Island library. Made from upcycled bags, each kit includes a sticker for free drop-off at any Island dump. Help keep your favorite beach clean
Tally the Trash with Clean Swell
Want to know how many bottles, cans, and cigarette butts we’ve collected? Help us find out!
The free, easy-to-use CleanSwell app lets you track what you collect and contribute to a global database of marine debris. When setting up your account, enter “Beach BeFrienders” under Group Name and start tallying today.
Sorted and Counted
Since 2024, nearly every piece of trash collected at our monthly clean-ups has been sorted and counted.
Highlights:
- Total number of beaches cleaned: 32
- Total volunteers: 303
- Total weight of trash collected: 4396.5 lbs.
- 1,767 Plastic bottles and caps – a reminder of how everyday items add up.
- 1,030 Food wrappers and packaging – one of the most common finds across beaches.
- 4,193 Cigarette butts – small but persistent, often numbering in the hundreds.
- 1,905 Fishing gear and rope – hazards to wildlife that we’re glad to remove.
- Countless unusual items – from beach chairs to car parts, you never know what will turn up!