SAN ANTONIO — Today, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced the results of the 2018 Fall Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup. 

“The can-do Texas spirit cannot be stopped,” said Commissioner George P. Bush. “Despite the first postponement in Adopt-A-Beach history and the potential threat of rain, 5,199 volunteers arrived at 22 beachfront locations to remove 76,576 pounds of trash from the Texas coastline. I am continually impressed by our volunteers’ dedication to keeping our Texas beaches clean. Thank you, Adopt-A-Beach volunteers!”

Since 1986, more than 528,564 Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have cleaned more than 9,629 tons of trash from Texas beaches. Cigarette butts, beer cans and plastic bags are among the most common items found. However, with each cleanup, plenty of odd and unusual items inevitably are reported. On Saturday, strange items found on Texas beaches included a large paintbrush, fingernail polish, toothbrush, coconut, propane tank, four tires with rims, truck fender, high chair, miniature laminated high school diploma, car hood, shotgun shells, toy soldier, old coin, muffler, ski glove, vintage dip net, hat, air filter, fishing pole, dime, large rusted sheet of metal, pliers, tire, refrigerator, rug, socks, and a T-shirt.

The Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach program is an all-volunteer effort to remove trash from Texas' shores. Coastal cleanups are held three times each year and the program's success is due to the hard work of volunteers, including local coordinators who work many unpaid hours publicizing the cleanups in coastal communities. The Coastwide Spring Adopt-A-Beach effort is scheduled for Saturday, April 13th, 2019. Adopt-A-Beach volunteers record data on the trash they find to learn more about the causes of marine debris and to help mitigate pollution along Texas' 367 miles of coastline.

###