Written by Paige Marchand
Picture taken by Eric Kummel
The Ocean Gives Back
In a way, the ocean gives back what we put into it. Carried by currents, tides, and wind, debris can travel through coastal waters before eventually washing back onto our shorelines. The ocean doesn't make our waste disappear, it can bring it back to the places where we connect with the coast. Our beaches become a place where that waste returns to us, giving us another opportunity to remove it, understand where it came from, and take responsibility for it.
This is why Surfrider South Vancouver Island holds regular beach cleanups. They are a practical way to care for the coast we share, while also creating an opportunity to better understand the pollution affecting it.
Why Do Beach Cleanups Matter?
Plastic, fishing gear, cigarette butts, food packaging, and other debris can pose risks to wildlife through ingestion and entanglement, while contributing to the degradation of coastal habitats.
Clean shorelines also matter to the people who use them. Beaches are places where we swim, walk, explore, gather with others, and connect with the ocean. Removing debris helps maintain these spaces as cleaner and safer places for both people and wildlife.
But there is another important part of a beach cleanup that happens alongside picking up the waste: paying attention to what we find.
Reading Between the Debris
What kinds of debris are showing up repeatedly? How much are we finding? And what might that tell us about how waste is entering the coastal environment?
Beach cleanups provide valuable information about what is ending up on our shorelines. By tracking the types and quantities of debris collected, Surfrider can begin to identify patterns in the pollution affecting local beaches.
In 2025 alone, Surfrider South Vancouver Island volunteers cleaned more than 16 km of shoreline, collecting 1,052.1 kg of debris, including more than 4,000 cigarette butts and 155.5 gallons of polystyrene.
The value of this information extends beyond the cleanup itself. Removing debris from the beach addresses the pollution that is already there, while documenting what is found can help us understand the larger problem.
By identifying recurring pollution trends, Surfrider can use this information to support campaigns that advocate for legislative change and address pollution at its source.
One example is Surfrider's Hold on to your Butt campaign, which has focused on cigarette butt pollution. (Please note the campaign is not currently fully active.) Surfrider has also previously worked on campaigns such as Ban the Bag, addressing single-use plastic bags.
Connected at the Coastline
Beach cleanups are also about people.
Bringing community members together to care for a shared coastline creates opportunities to learn, connect, and become more aware of the pollution around us. A cleanup can be a simple way to spend time outside and contribute to the health of a place that so many people use and enjoy.
Join Us at Our Upcoming Beach Cleanup at Cadboro Bay!
On October 18, Surfrider Foundation South Vancouver Island will join forces with the UVic Surfrider club for a collaborative beach cleanup at Cadboro Bay Beach. This is an opportunity for students, community members, and coastal advocates to come together, care for a much-loved local shoreline, and contribute to the collective effort to reduce marine debris.
Surfrider is also looking for volunteers to help keep its Beach Cleanup program running, including Beach Cleanup Leads and members of the BCU Clean Team. Whether you're interested in helping organize cleanups, supporting volunteers, or getting involved in other chapter initiatives, there are many ways to contribute. Reach out to: volunteer@svi.surfrider.ca if interested!
Want to get involved?
Visit Vancouver Island Surfrider Beach Cleanups page to learn more about upcoming cleanups, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support Surfrider South Vancouver Island. Donations also help support the chapter's ongoing conservation and stewardship efforts, Make a Donation Here.
Beat the Debris to the Shoreline
Can't make it to a beach cleanup but still want to help protect our shorelines?
Beach cleanups also highlight a bigger challenge: preventing waste from entering the environment in the first place. There are plenty of ways we can make a difference in our everyday lives and reduce the amount of debris that ends up on our beaches and in the ocean.
Reduce plastic use: Cut down on single-use plastics whenever possible.
Recycle responsibly: Recycle the plastic you do use according to local guidelines.
Bring reusable bags: Choose reusable bags and other alternatives to single-use products.
Hold On To Your Butt: Dispose of cigarette butts properly instead of leaving them on the ground.
Dock your marine debris: Take responsibility for marine debris and ensure it is properly collected and disposed of.
Dispose of fishing gear properly: Keep unwanted fishing line, nets, and other gear out of the marine environment.
Lose the loop: Cut loops in discarded plastic packaging where appropriate to help reduce the risk of wildlife entanglement.
Pack out what you pack in: Take all your waste with you on your beachcombing adventures and leave the shoreline as you found it.
Every preventive and restorative action helps contribute to a cleaner coast.
The ocean gives back. We can too.
