Litter cleanups are a powerful conservation tool, which almost anyone can join. According to the Ocean Conservancy, ‘Up to 23 million metric tons of plastic waste are estimated to enter global aquatic ecosystems annually.’ The challenge of plastic pollution is monumental, but beach cleanups can still have a lasting impact, especially when they are accompanied by actions to reduce the use of plastics in the first place.
Each September, A Rocha Organizations around the world join the International Coastal Cleanup and World Cleanup Day to create waters of hope, not plastic. This hope is for the landscapes, seascapes and wildlife that have been harmed by plastic pollution, and also for us humans who feel a greater sense of connection and optimism when we come together to care for our common home. Ultimately, our hope is in the Creator God who promises to renew all things and invites us to join this transformative work.
Read on for encouraging stories from A Rocha’s cleanups around the world.
Poetry from the Philippines
Christians in Conservation Philippines, an A Rocha Associated Project, saw an impressive turnout for the 2025 International Coastal cleanup. Teaming up with a local church and its members, they mobilize five schools and five health organizations to clean up beaches at Lobo, Batangas, Philippines. Lobo has coasts facing the Verde Island Passage which is known as having the highest concentration of marine shore fish species on Earth.
With support and encouragement from the local government, about 130 children, 21 youth and 231 adults joined the effort to protect marine life, gathering a total of 82 kg of waste! One group even planted seedlings of the endemic and endangered Philippine teak (Tectona philippinensis).
Mico Salas, Executive Director of Christians in Conservation, was inspired by the epic cleanup to write the poem below.
Taking cleanups underwater
Beach cleanups have proven to be incredibly effective at tackling marine plastic pollution. Since the International Coastal Cleanup began over 35 years ago, over 19 million volunteers have collectively removed more than 400 million pounds of trash from the world’s beaches and waterways.
However, not all marine litter washes ashore. Plastic and other waste often remain underwater, where they threaten marine life and damage fragile habitats. Removing this waste can be difficult without disturbing marine animals and their habitats in the process.
A Rocha Kenya and their partners have come up with a clever solution: underwater cleanups! On 18 July, more than 30 strong swimmers and free divers gathered at Watamu Marine National Park to remove waste that ordinary beach cleanups cannot reach. Together with the Kenya Wildlife Service and Turtle Dive Water Sports Centre, the volunteers collected 30.5 kg of plastic and other marine waste from a relatively small underwater area, helping to protect Watamu’s marine life from the shoreline to the ocean floor.
Plans are now underway to build on this first activity and expand the underwater cleanup initiative.
Hunting for nurdles
Most beach cleanups target larger plastics which can easily be seen and collected by hand. Smaller plastic particles are often overlooked in this process, but they are uniquely harmful to marine life.
Nurdles are tiny plastic pellets that are molded to make most of the plastic products we use every day. Billions of nurdles are produced each year and are easily spilled during manufacturing or transport. Because they look dangerously like fish eggs, seabirds, shellfish, whales and other marine wildlife easily mistake nurdles for food, which can lead to injury, starvation or even death.
A Rocha USA hosts ‘Nurdle Hunts’ in Florida each year during The Great Global Nurdle Hunt, a month-long event which often coincides with the International Coastal Cleanup. Hunting for nurdles isn’t just an opportunity to clean up beaches: A Rocha USA takes time for contemplative activities and even swimming. By praying for, protecting and enjoying God’s creation, we grow to love and care for it more and more.
A Rocha Peru is joining the nurdle hunting enthusiasm, as well, with a pilot project on Coastal Nurdle Monitoring and Clean-Up. In Peru, research on coastal microplastics remains limited, and pellet-focused studies are practically non-existent, especially outside Lima. A Rocha Peru organized this pilot activity to explore the presence of nurdles on beaches in the fishing village, Huanchaco. The response from the local community was incredibly positive, as volunteers were highly motivated to join the beach cleanups and learn about microplastic pollution. 1200 nurdles were collected in the surveyed areas, highlighting the severity of microplastic pollution in this tourist-heavy area and the need for more initiatives in the future.
The International Coastal Cleanup takes place on 19th September, 2026, and for those who don’t live near the ocean or another body of water, World Cleanup Day is on the 20th! Find educational, theological and practical resources on cleaning up plastic pollution in A Rocha’s Plastics Toolbox.
