HMTX Industries sponsored a beach cleanup on Sept. 26, 2020 at Jennings Beach in Fairfield, CT for the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Organized locally by Annalisa Paltauf from Save the Sound, an organization that leads environmental action in the region including the protection of the Long Island Sound’s beaches and natural areas, this marked the fourth year in a row HMTX sponsored the cleanup event.
To spread awareness, the 62-strong band of ICC volunteers (8 from HMTX and 54 community volunteers) removed 180 pounds of trash in 2.5 hours – everything from food wrappers (465) and beverage bottles (198) to tiny pieces of foam, glass and plastic (1665). Previously tabulated manually, this year’s haul was partially documented by volunteers with the new Clean Swell app, which enables a more precise record of material removal and allows for less sharing of recording materials during the pandemic.