Nonprofit encourages visitors to clean up trash on Jersey shore beaches

WILDWOOD CREST, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A nonprofit organization at the Jersey Shore is trying to encourage beachgoers to clean up trash.

Two members of the group, A.J. Caruso and Nicholas Olson, can often be found picking up garbage at the beach.

The nonprofit, Love Blue, was founded in Wildwood Crest in 2019.

"Got a bunch of buddies together, lifeguards, surfers," said Caruso, the CEO of Love Blue. "We started doing beach cleanups every week."

But this summer, they want visitors to join in, too.

Action News met them at their newest cleanup station on Rambler Road in Wildwood Crest.

Beachgoers are encouraged to borrow a bucket from inside the station's cabinets.

Once the bucket is filled, dump it into the trash or recycling bins in the back of the station when you're done.

The organization holds weekly beach cleanups in the spring, summer, and fall.

They say the most common item of trash they find on the beaches are bottle caps.

"All over," Caruso said. "They're buried pretty deep into the sand, but that's the most common."

There are three cleanup stations so far in Wildwood Crest, and they're hoping to install others in Cape May and Atlantic City soon.

The organization has also expanded to several universities as volunteers have gone to college and started chapters at their schools.

"Everyone enjoys getting community service hours and at the same time protecting their environment and their local beach they get to enjoy," said Olson, a junior at Stockton University.

As the shore gets ready for its busy season, they hope visitors take their trash with them.

"Enjoy your stay," said Caruso, "but just leave the place better than you found it."