A resolution celebrating the 40th anniversary of the International Coastal Cleanup.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 588 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 588

 Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the International Coastal Cleanup.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 27, 2026

 Mr. Van Hollen (for himself, Ms. Alsobrooks, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. 
 Heinrich, and Mr. Merkley) submitted the following resolution; which 
 was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the International Coastal Cleanup.

Whereas the first International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) began in 1986 along the 
        coastline of Texas, led by Linda Maraniss and Kathy O'Hara of Ocean 
        Conservancy's predecessor organization;
Whereas the ICC spread to other States the following year and has become the 
        largest annual volunteer event in the United States;
Whereas Canada and Mexico began hosting ICC events in 1989;
Whereas, since 1986, nearly 19,000,000 volunteers have joined local cleanup 
        efforts to remove over 400,000,000 pounds of ocean trash from beaches 
        and waterways from 155 countries around the globe and nearly every State 
        in the country;
Whereas, in 2024 alone, over 486,000 volunteers came out to conduct cleanups of 
        all shapes and sizes, in over 100 countries and almost every State, 
        collecting 7,500,000 pounds of trash globally;
Whereas a network of partners, including nonprofits and State and local 
        governments, coordinate the cleanup of hundreds of sites along the 
        coasts of the United States;
Whereas, nationwide, nearly 140,000,000 individual trash items and 122,500,000 
        pounds of trash have been removed from the environment and recorded via 
        the ICC data card or Clean Swell app;
Whereas data collected by ICC volunteers has resulted in the world's largest 
        database of trackable, comparable data on ocean trash, totaling over 
        420,000,000 items, which is collected and published by Ocean Conservancy 
        and is the largest and longest running citizen science ocean trash 
        dataset in the world;
Whereas, as of 2025, 43 peer-reviewed scientific papers have used data from the 
        ICC and more than 290 have cited the ICC;
Whereas over 70 percent of all ocean trash items collected through the ICC over 
        the past 4 decades in the United States have been single-use plastics;
Whereas cleanups will not solve the plastic pollution crisis, but continue to 
        play a vital role in reducing ocean plastic pollution;
Whereas, in 4 decades, the ICC has built a groundswell of ocean advocates and 
        helped to raise awareness around the plastic pollution crisis;
Whereas local cleanups have an immediate, positive impact on the environment and 
        communities and prevent future harm from plastics already out in the 
        world;
Whereas participating in the ICC is one simple way that anyone, anywhere can 
        take action for the oceans, whether on the coast or far inland; and
Whereas September 2025 marked the 40th anniversary of the International Coastal 
        Cleanup: Now: therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) celebrates 2025 as the 40th anniversary of the 
        International Coastal Cleanup;
            (2) supports the goals and ambitions of the International 
        Coastal Cleanup;
            (3) encourages the people of the United States to 
        participate in International Coastal Cleanup activities; and
            (4) highlights the importance of reducing plastic pollution 
        and addressing the problem at its source by producing less 
        plastics.
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