Cleanup removes more than 16 tons of trash from South Mississippi shorelines

Volunteers with the 27th annual Mississippi Coastal Cleanup had a busy Saturday as more than 166 miles of coastline was cleaned of trash and debris.

Spokeswoman Irene McIntosh said 1,904 volunteers started working at 8 a.m. at 55 designated sites through, Hancock Harrison and Jackson counties.

"Today was a very successful cleanup," she said. "Each year is only possible because of the fantastic volunteers that come out for our Coast."

McIntosh said a partnership with Ship Island Excursions allowed volunteers to head out to Ship Island to clean there.

"Their partnership allowed us to travel free of charge and clean the entire island," she said. "We are extremely pleased to extend our reach to the barrier islands."

In total, 1,188 bags of trash weighing more than 32,000 pounds were picked up during the day, of which 180 bags were recyclable.

"The staggering numbers show just how badly the area needs this cleanup every year," McIntosh said.

This story was originally published October 17, 2015 at 9:29 PM with the headline "Cleanup removes more than 16 tons of trash from South Mississippi shorelines ."