New Jersey Beach Sweeps Return This Saturday

Volunteers needed to clean up beaches across the Jersey Shore

Apr. 8, 2026 at 5:09pm

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A vibrant, silkscreen-style grid of a bright orange trash bucket, repeated in shades of neon green, pink, and blue, conceptually representing the community-driven beach cleanup efforts.Volunteers at the annual New Jersey Beach Sweeps transform everyday cleanup tools into bold, colorful pop art.Wildwood Today

Clean Ocean Action's 41st annual New Jersey Beach Sweeps are happening this Saturday, April 11th, from 9 am to 12:30 pm at 20 beaches in Atlantic, Cape May, and lower Ocean counties. The event has grown from 75 volunteers at a single site in 1985 to over 176,000 volunteers removing 8.7 million pieces of trash from New Jersey shores over the past four decades.

Why it matters

The Beach Sweeps help keep New Jersey's beaches clean and healthy for residents and visitors, while also collecting data on the types of trash found to better understand and prevent littering. Volunteers of all ages are encouraged to participate and make a difference in their local communities.

The details

Volunteers must register online and are asked to bring gloves, a trash bucket, sunglasses, and hard-soled shoes. They will be tasked with documenting the trash they collect, which has included unusual items like dirty diapers, syringes, a Christmas wreath, and an inflatable hot tub in recent years. Some of the most common types of trash found are plastic bottles, cigarette butts, e-cigarette cartridges, plastic cutlery, Styrofoam cups, and assorted beachwear and gear.

  • The Beach Sweeps take place this Saturday, April 11, 2026 from 9 am to 12:30 pm.
  • The event has been held annually since 1985.

The players

Clean Ocean Action

A non-profit organization that organizes the annual New Jersey Beach Sweeps to clean up beaches and collect data on the types of trash found.

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What’s next

Volunteers can sign up for the Beach Sweeps online on the Clean Ocean Action website.

The takeaway

The New Jersey Beach Sweeps are an important community event that brings together thousands of volunteers each year to help keep the state's beaches clean and healthy. By participating, residents can make a tangible difference in their local environment and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the Jersey Shore.