The Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup, formerly the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, runs volunteer litter cleanups across Canada. Volunteers record what they find on data cards. In 2025, 8,570 volunteers in Canada removed 345,663 items weighing 13,445 kg from 845 km of shoreline. Cigarette butts were the most common item, then plastic pieces. The records show fewer plastic bags since Canada's ban (1.7 per volunteer in 2023 to 2025, down from 2.7 in 2017 to 2021), while coffee cups and lids, which are not banned, rose.
Who runs and funds it: Ocean Wise Conservation Association, a registered charity (number 11928 2119 RR0001 on the Canada Revenue Agency's 2024 list). Its audited 2025 accounts show 41% of spending on conservation and education and 32% on administration, and about half of its 2025 income came from investments, including the sale of a business stake. Supporters include Enbridge, an oil and gas pipeline company, and Nestlé Canada. The counts are volunteer records, not a controlled survey.
How to start: ocean.org/pollution-plastics/shoreline-cleanup/