Twice a year, Clean Ocean Action hosts beach sweeps, where volunteers pick up trash along New Jersey beaches – and they find some wild stuff.
In 2016, nearly 4,000 volunteers removed more than 218,000 items from beaches, bays and other water sources during the two sessions. Items found included five whole tires, 40 diapers and 151 shoes/sandals.
But the weirdest collectables are documented in the organization’s “Roster of the Ridiculous,” a list of the oddest items collected. Some of the strangest from last year include a computer monitor, a car door, hair extensions, dentures, three fake Christmas trees (two fully decorated!), a pink lawn flamingo, a pitchfork and a microphone.
If you’d like to help save the SJ ocean and volunteer for the next beach sweep (scheduled for October 21), sign up here.