Data complied by Save the Sound from 75 cleanups along the Connecticut coastline, including several involving CT Sea Grant, shows that 9,975 pounds of trash was removed from beaches, roadways and parks in 2024, keeping it out of Long Island Sound.
More than 2,800 volunteers participated in the cleanups, which covered more than 91 miles of shoreline. The volunteers picked up 13,512 cigarette butts—the most numerous item—and 11,072 food wrappers, the second most numerous.
The data is recorded by volunteers at the clean-up events and tallied by Save the Sound, which submits the data to the Ocean Conservancy for its International Coastal Cleanup data.
Download a pdf of the 2024 Connecticut cleanup data here.