We want to give a big shout-out to the thousands of volunteers who converged at check-in sites across South Alabama on Sept. 16 for the 30th year of the Alabama Coastal Cleanup. It’s an incredible effort by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, municipalities, business sponsors and volunteers to keep our coastal areas and waterways clean.

Organizers partnered with TerraCycle and Thompson Engineering to include recycling in this year’s cleanup. Volunteers received two bags – one for trash, one for “rigid” plastics like lids, beach toys, detergent bottles and water bottles.

TerraCycle is an innovative company that focuses on those types of hard-to-recycle waste. The plastics were sorted and will be cleaned before undergoing an involved process to convert it into containers for Procter & Gamble products.

Because of the success of this year’s effort, organizers may expand to include other recyclables in future cleanups.

Folks are always interested in hearing about unusual items collected. This year the list included grocery carts and $500 found by a Boy Scout troop, said Angela Underwood of ADCNR.

Thanks to all the volunteers, business sponsors and organizations who helped make this year’s cleanup happen.