Reducing Plastic Use Among Commuters and CoastSmart Restaurants

Salem Sound Coastwatch worked with high school interns to develop effective community-based social marketing messages and launch a “CoastSmart” restaurant campaign to reduce sources of marine debris. 

Type of Project: Prevention

Region: Northeast

Project Dates: September 2020 - August 2022

Who was involved?

With support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Salem Sound Coastwatch, in partnership with Girls Inc., and Salem Public Schools, developed projects for high school interns in Massachusetts. The project included a CoastSmart Restaurant campaign that worked with local restaurants, the development of an educational video about composting and an ad campaign, and the creation of an inventory of cigarette butt collection efforts. 

What was the project and why is it important?

Single-use food and beverage packaging and cigarette butts continue to be a common type of debris collected during cleanups across the globe. These items, which are often made of plastic that does not degrade or break down like other materials do, can cause serious harm to sensitive habitats and wildlife, and can significantly impact local economies.

Salem Sound Coastwatch and their partners engaged youth in community-based social marketing research and service projects that addressed marine debris issues in their communities. Project staff and high school students worked to reduce the amount of single-use plastics and cigarette butts that end up on beaches and in the ocean. This project combined the best techniques from previously established programs and developed effectively tailored bilingual, Spanish and English messaging for the unique commercial and residential populations of Salem and Lynn, Massachusetts. 

High school interns developed service projects, presented their projects’ progress, and engaged with their communities to help reduce marine debris. These efforts included a CoastSmart Restaurant campaign, aimed at working with restaurants to commit to “green practices” such as composting, improving waste management, and reducing single-use items in their service ware.

What were the results? 

This project team worked with 28 high school interns, who in turn, taught marine debris lessons to nearly 50 younger students. The interns, through four different project teams, created 49 outreach products, ranging from rail-side posters and billboards, to websites and social media videos, designed to raise awareness in Salem and Lynn, Massachusetts. These products had an estimated 750,000 impressions. As part of their research, the interns surveyed 87 commuters, met with staff at 20 restaurants, and engaged eight volunteers to help collect cigarette butt waste in both cities. Through 80 local beach cleanups, this team removed more than 2,200 pounds of marine debris.

For more information about this project, visit the Marine Debris Program Clearinghouse.