For the sixth time, cigarettes and filters have topped the list of trash collected during last year’s annual international coastal cleanup, according to a new report by the Ocean Conservancy. The annual effort — which featured participation by 68 countries — covered 34,500 miles of coastlines and waterways in addition to river, ocean and lake bottoms, the conservancy said in a report released Thursday.
“A plastic sandwich bag floating in the ocean may look like a jellyfish, a favorite food of sea turtles,” said Sonya Besteiro, the cleanup project manager. “If a sea turtle ingests a plastic bag it may feel full and stop eating. Or the bag could block the animal’s digestive system and cause death.”
During the 2006 cleanup, volunteers found 1,074 animals entangled in debris, including fishing line and nets.
350,000
Number of volunteers used in the cleanup
7 million
Pounds of debris recovered, and 7.7 million items of debris
1.9 million
Number of cigarettes and cigarette butts
