How to Join a Repair the Sea Waterfront Cleanup From Home

Thank you for joining the global movement to repair the sea. Hundreds of communities around the world are participating in the international High Holidays cleanup, led by Repair the Sea. However, you don’t have to be associated with an organization to join this important initiative. We invite you to join us from wherever you are.

Why are Repair the Sea Waterfront Cleanup’s Important?

Every year, around 8 million tons of plastic debris make their way into the ocean from coastal communities—approximately five garbage bags full of trash for every foot of coastline worldwide. Plastic pollution poses a threat to aquatic life, which disrupts the balance of ecosystems. The ocean is the largest carbon sink in the world, and a healthy balance is essential in promoting a safe and stable climate.

Repair the Sea cleanups are inspired by the Jewish mitzvah of Bal Tashchit, the prohibition against needless waste and destruction. Over the last several years, this movement has expanded as Jewish communities and others around the world have embraced waterfront cleanups as part of their High Holiday celebrations.

How You Can Join

You can join an official registered community. Check out the official map to see if there is a Repair the Sea cleanup event near you.

If not, here are seven easy steps to join the movement:

1. Register a Community If you'd like to organize a cleanup, register your community to officially join the Repair the Sea initiative.

2. Grab a Bag No need to go to the store to buy something new. You can use:

   • An old plastic grocery bag

   • A mop bucket

   • A five-gallon bucket

   • Any bag that can be thrown in the washing machine

3. Cover Your Hands Protect your hands with items you already have, such as:

   • Baseball gloves

   • Winter gloves

   • Gardening gloves

   • Work gloves

   • Bread bags

   • Tortilla bags

4. Head to a Body of Water You can participate in a Repair the Sea cleanup at:

   • The beach

   • A lakefront

     
     

1. 
   
   • 
     

   • A riverwalk

   • A park with a pond

   • A bridge

   • Even your neighborhood to keep trash out of storm drains

   • And more!

2. Collect Your Trash Look for small microplastics and cigarette butts in addition to larger, more apparent pieces of trash.

3. Take a Picture Capture a photo of you and your haul, and share it on social media with #RepairTheSea.

4. Properly Dispose of Your Trash Ensure that the trash you collect is properly disposed of so it doesn’t make its way back into the water.

That’s it! If you’re interested in taking it a step further, we encourage you to log the debris you find to contribute to the global debris database and tell the world what trash you removed. Learn more here!

Register to join the global movement today!

Register