185 Pounds Removed at Great Island Basin Cleanup in Narragansett, Rhode Island

Ocean Recovery Community Alliance (ORCA) hosted a volunteer beach cleanup at Great Island in Narragansett, Rhode Island, where 20 volunteers removed 185 pounds of debris from the shoreline despite strong winds and colder temperatures. The cleanup highlighted the ongoing impact of long-term marine debris, including a 1983 Pepsi bottle recovered during the event.

Event Details

Great Island’s mucky shoreline and exposed coastline made for a colder cleanup day, but volunteers still covered a large stretch of the basin and removed a wide range of debris from the area.

One of the more notable finds was a Pepsi bottle from 1983. Discoveries like that are a reminder that plastic and other waste can persist in the environment for decades when not properly disposed of.

Partner Recognition

A huge thank you to Pappas OPT and Beach Rooster for teaming up with ORCA and supporting the cleanup effort. Community partnerships continue to play an important role in making volunteer beach cleanup events possible across Rhode Island.

We also want to thank every volunteer who showed up ready to work through the colder weather and help clean the shoreline.

What Was Found

Volunteers removed a mix of plastic debris, weathered fragments, bottles, and shoreline litter throughout the cleanup area. The 1983 Pepsi bottle stood out as one of the day’s most memorable finds and offered a direct example of how long debris can persist in coastal environments.

Why It Matters

Older plastic waste breaks down into smaller fragments over time, creating microplastics that can spread through shoreline ecosystems and marine habitats. Removing debris before it continues to degrade helps reduce risks to wildlife and keeps coastal areas cleaner for the community.

Get Involved

ORCA hosts volunteer beach cleanup events in Rhode Island throughout the year. Visit our events page to sign up for an upcoming beach cleanup or support future cleanups through a donation.

Ocean Recovery Community Alliance (ORCA) is a nonprofit organization focused on beach cleanups and ocean conservation across Rhode Island and Connecticut.