Shoreline Cleanups are Helping Reclaim our Coasts

22 hours ago

3 min read

In the late 80s and early 90s when the concept of "living sustainability" became mainstream, it generated a lot of discourse surrounding longevity. What does it actually mean to be sustainable? Are the small changes we make in our everyday lives really making a difference? Who’s responsibility is it to dedicate their time and effort to sustainability? While some of these questions may never find their answer, there is no doubt that your effort is not going to waste. Shoreline cleanups are one example of an easy and efficient way to minimize pollution seeping into the ocean.

Why Shoreline Cleanup?

About 70% of our earth is covered by the oceans, making it a susceptible target for the trash humans create to infiltrate through rivers and streams. Unfortunately, between 75 million and 199 million tonnes of plastic waste currently litters the world’s oceans. This has caused major issues as the ocean is such a pivotal part of the earth’s ecosystems. As pollution levels climb, so do the negative effects felt by wildlife, plants, and the communities that rely on oceans.

When trash is improperly disposed of, or carelessly discarded along the shore, it contributes to animal death, chemical toxicity, and habitat destruction. For example, when the six pack rings off of your soda can make their way into the ocean, animals can get stuck inside causing suffocation or drowning. Oil spills and soap spills can clog fish gills and severely damage the feathers of shorebirds. The weight of multiple tonnes of trash on coral and seagrass leads to irreversible breakage and destruction. This indirectly affects ocean communities. As the beaches become polluted with trash, they lose their beauty and tourism rates drop. This is problematic for communities that rely on tourism to boost their economy. Local fishermen struggle to make ends meet when the fish populations plummet.

Although this can feel overwhelming, citizens can make a difference on a local scale.

While it may not feel like much, the truth is, shoreline cleanups are making astronomical strides for our oceans. According to cleanup reports, nearly 350 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways have been removed globally since 1986 (2026). Community members working together for a couple hours removing trash from lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans is helping to make a dent in pollution levels. Even dedicating just a couple minutes means one less piece of trash sits on the beach.

Shoreline Cleanups Make Progress!

A famous example of a successful shoreline cleanup was the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup which began in 1994. According to a blog published by Ocean Wise, there have been over 21,000 cleanups logged with the help of over 750,000 volunteers (2024). Something that started with a couple people cleaning a beach turned into a worldwide initiative for cleaner oceans. QCOS hopes to help keep the pollution generated by Queen’s students out of the St. Lawrence river. We gathered concerned members of the Queen’s community to help combat the aftermath of homecoming by picking up trash along the shoreline by Gord Downie Pier in order to do our part to keep the ocean clean.

Queen's Conference on Ocean Sustainability Shoreline Cleanup 2025