There were fewer diapers and condoms collected from New Jersey beaches in 2021 compared to years past, but across just six hours last year, volunteers for Clean Ocean Action collected a record 513,605 pieces of debris from the state's shoreline.
The legislation signed into law, which takes effect in two years, is intended to reduce virgin plastic use, and is expected by environmentalists to make New Jersey an East Coast leader on the issue.
Remi, a black Labrador mix is a scent-detection dog who, with her power to sniff out human waste, has helped improve the water quality of Barnegat Bay.
Among the other findings that made Clean Ocean Action's "Roster of the Ridiculous" were a kitty litter scoop, cocktail shaker, AirPods, a foam Halloween tombstone, and a New Year's Eve party hat.
While many municipalities in the Garden State have tackled the issue on their own, a proposed law introduced recently would implement a statewide ban on the intentional release of balloons into the sky.