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

This Senate Resolution commemorates the 40th anniversary of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), which began in 1986 and has grown into the largest annual volunteer event in the United States. Since its inception, nearly 19,000,000 volunteers across 155 countries have removed over 400,000,000 pounds of ocean trash, demonstrating a significant global effort to combat marine pollution. In 2024 alone, over 486,000 volunteers collected 7,500,000 pounds of trash globally. The ICC also serves as a vital citizen science initiative , creating the world's largest database of ocean trash data, which has been used in numerous scientific studies. Recognizing that over 70 percent of collected items are single-use plastics, the resolution supports the ICC's goals and encourages public participation in cleanup activities. Crucially, it highlights the importance of addressing plastic pollution by reducing its production at the source, acknowledging that cleanups alone cannot solve the crisis but play a vital role in mitigation.