The 37th annual Beach Sweep/River Sweep in Bluffton Sept. 19 allowed volunteers a chance to remove a variety of litter from the waterways and surrounding areas.
The event took place at Oyster Factory Park and hundreds of volunteers participated in the event. The Town of Bluffton has participated in an event which helps clean up along the May River for the past 18 years.
The Town of Bluffton partnered with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), inviting residents, families, businesses, paddlers and community organizations to participate in the event. It was held at Oyster Factory Park, 63 Wharf St., in Bluffton.
Members of the Bluffton Paddle Club assisted with water-based cleanup
efforts.
“Volunteers collected and counted 1,892 pieces of trash and debris during Saturday’s 37th Annual Beach Sweep/ River Sweep,” a Town of Bluffton spokesperson said.
There were all types of items collected, including 301 cigarette butts; 223 food and candy wrappers; 216 plastic and foam pieces; 132 beverage cans, and 112 plastic beverage bottles.
“The Beach Sweep/River Sweep is South Carolina’s largest one-day volunteer waterway cleanup event,” the town’s spokesperson said. “Each year on the third Saturday in September, thousands of South Carolinians remove litter and debris from beaches, rivers, lakes and marshes. The South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium leads coastal cleanup efforts, while SCDNR leads inland cleanups.”
During the event, volunteers also found construction materials, fishing lines and rope, balloons, clothing, electronic waste, toys, e-cigarettes, personal protective equipment, foam dock pieces, two syringes, a tire and a pair of eyeglasses.
Each item removed, the spokesperson said, is one less piece of litter that can enter our waterways and harm wildlife.
“Thank you to everyone who gave their time and energy to help protect the May River and keep Bluffton beautiful!” the spokesperson said.
The Town of Bluffton also wanted to remind residents and visitors that what happens on land affects the local waterways, asking those around the area to dispose of trash properly to help protect the May River.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Hundreds help clean Bluffton waterways during annual River Sweep
