Beach Cleanup Season Prompts Call for Precautions

As beach cleanups gear up, inspired by either an annual event to remove trash left from summer visitors, or a way to keep busy during tourism slowdowns, litter pickup events will require different rules this year.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control kicked off its beach cleanup yesterday. It encourages state residents and visitors to pick up trash on beaches and along waterways throughout September.

Volunteers are asked to pick up debris like cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic bottles, abandoned sports equipment, and tires that often end up in the ocean and waterways. They can document their findings and share photos in a new online volunteer survey, available now at de.gov/coastalcleanup.

To help prevent the spread of COVD-19, cleanup volunteers are asked to stick to recruiting family from their household or friends in their pandemic pod instead of organizing large groups.

The Delaware Coastal Cleanup campaign issued other important reminders: 

• Wear gloves when picking up trash.
• Wash hands thoroughly after cleanup activities.
• Stay at least six feet from people from other households.
• Wear face coverings when working in groups that include people outside your household, or when you are unable to social distance.
• Avoid larger numbers of people by choosing early morning or evening, weekdays, and cloudy days for cleanups.
• Follow all local rules and regulations.