For Immediate Release, July 8, 2026
Contacts: Joanie Steinhaus, Ocean Program Director, joanie@seaturtles.org
Brittany McWhorter, Gulf Environmental Program Coordinator, brittany@seaturtles.org
Sarah Burgess, Surfrider Galveston Chair, chair@galveston.surfrider.org
Turtle Island Restoration Network Invites Community to Downtown Galveston Cigarette Butt Cleanup in Support of Plastic Free July
GALVESTON, TEXAS — Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN), in partnership with the Surfrider Foundation Galveston Chapter, is inviting community members to roll up their sleeves and help protect the Texas coast during a Downtown Galveston Cigarette Butt & Trash Cleanup on Saturday, July 11, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at Hendley Green on the Strand District.
Cigarette butts are the most commonly littered item in the world, yet they are often overlooked as a serious source of plastic pollution. Made primarily of plastic fibers, they can persist in the environment for years. When tossed onto streets and sidewalks, they are carried through storm drains into local waterways, eventually reaching beaches and the Gulf, where they poison marine life and pollute fragile coastal ecosystems.
The toxic chemicals leaching from a single cigarette butt can contaminate up to two gallons of seawater, making it deadly to small marine organisms such as crustaceans. Despite these well-documented impacts, cigarette butts continue to be treated as an acceptable form of litter. Every discarded cigarette butt is a reminder that preventing plastic pollution starts with individual choices and that protecting our oceans requires all of us to take action.
“The Kemp’s ridley, our Texas state sea turtle, is having a record breaking nesting season, and as of July 6th, 656 nests have been found on the Texas coast”, said Joanie Steinhaus, Ocean Program Director. The Kemp’s is one of 5 species of sea turtles found in the Gulf, and we need to ensure they have a beach and Gulf free of butts and eliminate the potential for ingestion of the butts or toxic chemicals leaching into the environment”.
In 2017, TIRN launched its Cigarette Butt-ler program by installing 18 cigarette butt collection cans at popular fishing locations across Galveston. These efforts are supported by the Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling Program (CLPR), created by Keep America Beautiful in 2002. As the nation’s largest initiative dedicated to eliminating cigarette litter, CLPR is supporting TIRN’s expanded program for the second consecutive year; last year, CLPR supported TIRN To install 27 receptacles to collect cigarette litter at popular fishing piers like Galveston Island Fishing Pier, 61st Street Pier, Jamail Park and Seawolf Park.
During last year’s cleanup at this location, volunteers removed more than 1,500 cigarette butts along with other litter before it could reach Galveston’s shoreline. Organizers hope to build on that success this year with another strong community turnout.
“Participants are encouraged to bring water, a friend and a positive attitude! By joining us you’re not only preventing these toxic products from entering our waterways, but you are also helping draw attention to the huge problem of butt pollution.” says Brittany McWhorter, Gulf Program Coordinator.
The cleanup is conveniently timed before Galveston’s monthly ArtWalk, allowing participants to enjoy the city’s galleries, restaurants, shops, and community events after helping care for the coast.
Event Details:
–What: Butts on the Strand Downtown Galveston Cigarette Butt & Trash Cleanup
-When: Saturday, July 11th at 4:30-6:00pm CT
–Where: Hendley Green, 2002 Strand, Galveston TX 77550
–Who: Hosted by Turtle Island Restoration Network’s Gulf of Mexico team, in collaboration with the Surfrider Galveston
To learn more about this event and register, visit www.seaturtles.org/event/downtown-galveston-cigarette-butt-trash-cleanup-july-11
For more information on TIRN’s Butts Off The Beach program, visit www.seaturtles.org/butts-off-the-beach
Turtle Island Restoration Network is a global ocean conservation nonprofit with offices in California and Texas, whose mission is to inspire and mobilize people around the world to protect marine biodiversity, the oceans and watersheds that sustain all life on Earth.
