Many countries, including the United States, have agreed to this treaty which should substan tially reduce the load of plastics entering the marine environment with time. The United States also prohibits the disposal of plastic into the nation's navigable waterways from any vesselranging from the largest cruise ship to an inner tube. A walk along any but the most pristine beach will quickly reveal an astonishing array of manmade products. Coastal and estuarine beaches are natural accumulation areas for both ocean and land-based debris. Nearshore waves tend to push marine litter landward where it becomes stranded as high tide recedes.
Beaches are also popular recreation areas and users often leave their trash behind.
Beaches, therefore, are ideal places to concentrate cleanup efforts. Citizens generally feel strongly about keeping their public beaches attractive and free of litter. As a result, a well-publicized cleanup drive can often attract large numbers of citizen volunteers. Cleanups serve three major functions. First, they reduce the amount of litter on the beaches in an immediate and visible wayan aspect most gratifying to the volunteers.