Save the Sound Releases 2025 Cleanup Data, 2026 Cleanup Season Kicks Off on Earth Day At Long Wharf

NEW HAVEN, CT — Save the Sound has collected its data from the 2025 cleanup season, tracking another year of cleanup data and continuing trends in trash.

In 2025, 2,414 volunteers picked up 11,541 pounds of trash at 98 cleanups at beaches, lakes, and parks inland and along the coastline across Connecticut and New York. The most common trash types collected were cigarette butts (18,321), food wrappers (10,741), bottle caps (12,718 plastic and metal caps combined), and small plastic pieces (8,067) —the same top trash types for the past nine years.

Since 2002, Save the Sound has been the official Connecticut coordinator for the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. It has dramatically grown year-round cleanups in Connecticut over the last several years and has added more cleanups in New York outside of the International Coastal Cleanup season, to expand impact to the whole Long Island Sound region.

“Cleanups like these have many environmental benefits, such as removing items that can leach chemicals into the ground and our waterways and preventing discarded fishing lines from entangling wildlife,” said Save the Sound cleanup coordinator Annalisa Paltauf. “It has a real impact, brings people together, and encourages good stewardship of our region.”

The 2026 cleanup season will kick off with Earth Day cleanup events on Saturday, April 18, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at these locations:

• Long Wharf, New Haven, CT (partnering with UNH COASTS event at Canal Dock boathouse)
• Harbor Island Park, Mamaroneck, NY
• Harborfront Park, Port Jefferson, NY

Volunteers can register for any of the Earth Day cleanups at https://www.savethesound.org/earthmonthcleanups/.

We thank our corporate sponsors and individual donors who support the cleanup program year after year. The 2025 cleanup season was generously sponsored by Subaru of New England, FactSet Charitable Foundation, Arvinas, Beiersdorf, Neuberger Berman, and PKF O'Connor Davies.

Corporate partners to support our cleanup program with financial contributions or in-kind gifts of essential supplies. In return, we highlight you as heroes in the fight against pollution in our digital communications and cleanup swag! To coordinate a company cleanup for your organization or make a supportive contribution, please e-mail our Cleanup Coordinator, Annalisa Paltauf, at apaltauf@savethesound.org.