PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Between September and November 2024, volunteers from Save the Bay collected 114,914 pieces of trash from Rhode Island's shores. All those pieces of trash add up to 21,662 pounds. According to a new report released by Save the Bay on Friday, beverage containers made up 29% of the trash collected, while smoking materials made up 23%. A variety of items labeled "other" were another 25% of the trash collected. That category includes 1,079 articles of clothing, 307 balloons, 98 tires and 27 appliances. A realty sign, a bed frame, an electric scooter and a television were among some of the more unusual items picked up by Save the Bay. A television was collected in a Save the Bay beach cleanup. (Courtesy of Save the Bay) "I was totally blown away from the amount of trash we removed at one of my very first cleanups at Collier Point Park," volunteer Ly Fastner said in a press release. To reduce the amount of trash in Narragansett Bay, Save the Bay recommends making sure your waste makes it into the can. Cigarettes should never be thrown on the ground, since their filters are not biodegradable. "The best way to reduce the amount of single-use plastic containers that are polluting our bay and local ecosystem is for Rhode Island to adopt a recycling refund system for beverage containers, also known as a 'bottle bill'," said Save the Bay's director of advocacy, Jed Thorp. "Recycling refund systems have been proven — with decades of data — to reduce litter and increase recycling rates," he explained. RELATED: How improper recycling is costing taxpayers Save the Bay's efforts are a part of the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup. The data collected in Rhode Island and around the world will be released in a report this summer. Save the Bay hosted around 89 group cleanups. You can learn more about how to get involved by clicking here. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW