Get to the beach and clean up for a good cause

Charlotte County’s Coastal Cleanup of 2012 will be held on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 8 a.m. until noon. Some local beaches, such as Little Gasparilla Island, are working on getting groups together to participate.

Supply pick-up will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. at the environmental campus, 25550 Harbor View Road in Port Charlotte.

The International Coastal Cleanup is the largest beach and waterway cleanup program with data collection in the world. Volunteers from around the globe participate each year, clearing tons of trash.

The first 500 people to sign up will receive a t-shirt.

In the 25 years since the first Coastal Clean-up, 152 counties have participated, as well as 8,763,377 volunteers. Those volunteers removed 144,606,491 pounds of debris, including 166,144,420 items in all, from cigarette butts to grocery bags to food wrappers.

More than 52,907,756 cigarette butts were collected, as well as 14,766,533 food wrappers and containers, and 13,585,425 caps and lids, making up 49% of all the items found.

Six of the top ten items are made of consumer plastic.

Call Keep Charlotte Beautiful at 764-4390 for more information.