Litter often enters New York’s waterways when it is carried by wind, rain runoff, or through storm drains, even when it starts out far from the coast. Sometimes litter in the water is also caused by intentional actions like littering and illegal dumping. MyCoast NY is tracking litter from all of these sources, and you can report litter you see in the water, near a storm drain, or close to shore.
Litter Watch
Tracking litter to protect our waters.
Litter is one of the biggest pollution problems facing New York’s waterways.
Overflowing trash can on Randall’s Island.
Bikes in the East River, Astoria Queens.
Plastic Bag in the Bronx River.
Plastic is a particularly harmful form of litter because it does not break down naturally.
Some of the most common types of litter found in NY waterways contain plastic, like cigarette butts, foam pieces, bottles, balloons, clothing, and abandoned fishing gear. Plastic does not degrade, persisting in environments. A plastic bottle found on the beach today could have been used years or decades prior.
Plastic poses a threat to marine, aquatic, and human life. Animals can become entangled in plastic or mistakenly ingest it. Instead of biodegrading, plastic breaks down into smaller pieces called microplastics, which can contain or carry toxic chemicals. Micro- and nano-plastics and associated chemicals (like phthalates) are found in animals and humans, raising concerns about their health impacts. Ongoing research is investigating the risks microplastics may pose to organisms.
New York Sea Grant is partnering with researchers to develop technology that prevents plastic from entering waterways. By uploading photos to Litter Watch, you can help us understand how litter ends up in New York’s waters. Your photos can help raise awareness, inform municipal planning, and complement other data and mapping related to marine and aquatic litter.
What can you do?
Litter Watch collects photos of litter that may enter New York’s waterways, including litter found in water, along the shore, in storm drains, waterfront parks, and other areas near the water. When you submit a photo report, it automatically pairs with data from the closest weather, river, and tidal or lake gauge to help provide context to the photo, and is then posted to the mycoast.org/ny website for anyone to see. Photo reports can be submitted through the app (iPhone /Android) or the website with a registered account.
We can all make small daily changes that can reduce litter in our waterways, like throwing cigarette butts into trash cans. When a trash can is full, hold onto your litter until you reach another can. Reduce single-use plastics whenever you can. Try to repair, reuse, buy used, and buy less. When you are done with a product, try donating or selling it, and recycling.
Your actions and photos can help protect New York’s waterways.
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