Second Hen Island Clean-Up Nets 300 Pounds of Trash

Building on the beach clean up in July, Hen Island residents were back at it on Saturday, September 17th. The effort was part of the New York State Beach Cleanup organized each year by the American Littoral Society.

Island residents collected 300 pounds of trash, adding to the 800 pounds collected back in July to surpass half a ton. Sadly, anyone who spends time along the shoreline in Rye won’t be surprised at the size of the haul.

The “dirty dozen” top twelve items found during the 2021 statewide efforts by over 4,000 volunteers were:

Plastic Pieces 19,435
Cigarette Butts 17,544
Bottle Caps (Plastic) 10,724
Food Wrappers (Candy, Chips, etc.) 9,158
Straws, Stirrers 6,290
Glass Pieces 5,338
Beverage Bottles (Plastic) 5,297
Bottle Caps (Metal) 4,505
Foam Pieces 4,262
Beverage Cans 3,632
Lids (Plastic) 2,691
Grocery Bags (Plastic) 2,563

The eight Hen Island trash collectors filled 12 bags with many of the items above. The most striking find of the day, according to sources on Hen Island, was an orange bikini top uncovered at the end of the day.