Unfortunately, it has become common to see the beach and ocean littered with trash, from plastic bottles to straws to cigarette butts. Keeping the shoreline clean is not only important to your health and quality of life, it is also important to protect the ocean ecosystem and marine life.
It’s time to make a change and keep the world’s coastlines free of litter. Whether you’re tracking your trash or participating in a beach cleanup, these are the best free Android and iOS apps to help you clean up your local beach.
1. Marine Debris Tracker
You certainly know how to declutter your home or work space, but what about your local beach? Marine Debris Tracker is the best trash tracking app for those who want to make a difference in their community, city or country. The app is easy to use with one key goal, which is to make it easy for people to collect and record any garbage or marine debris they pick up.
To use Marine Debris Tracker, all you have to do is log in and enable your location. From there, tap fast tracking to add the garbage as you collect it. The categories cover every type of material imaginable, from plastic and glass to fishing gear and wood. Once you are done collecting, you can load and save your cleaning session. Alternatively, you can select an organization in the app and track your trash for that specific initiative.
Discharge: Marine Debris Tracker for iOS | android (free)
2. ocean hero
Because OceanHero is actually a browser, it’s a bit different from the other apps on this list. The app works by retrieving plastic bottles found in the ocean for every five searches you do in the browser.
Just like a regular browser, you can use OceanHero to search the web for anything you want; the only difference is that you are saving the ocean at the same time. The more you search, the more levels you’ll unlock, which means less plastic in the ocean. Also, you can collect shells, which increases the bottle counter at the top of the browser.
Because OceanHero makes sailing fun, you’re more likely to keep using it. Plus, it’s incredibly clean and easy to use.
Discharge: Ocean Hero for iOS | android (free)
3. Clean beach
Clean Beach’s goal is to make cleaning our beaches really fun. A reward-based approach is needed to maintain our shores, making it more enjoyable and fulfilling. Also, the fact that you can unlock a higher ranking while picking up trash adds motivation.
If you are looking for a simple and uncomplicated app, why not give Clean Beach a try? Play start collecting followed by any discarded items you found during your cleaning session. Once you have finished counting your garbage collection, tap next and the app displays your location and a breakdown of all the tombstones you’ve found. As you complete more garbage collections, you will be rewarded with more badges.
Discharge: Clean Beach for Android (Free)
4. Clean up the swell
Clean Swell is a litter tracking app that makes it really easy to pick up litter and positively impact our shorelines. The app allows you to do three things: enter data from a garbage collection device, start a new cleanup, or record a previous cleanup. For individuals or groups that collect garbage, it is better to use the second option. Here, you can enter your information, such as the location, the type of cleanup, and how many people are involved.
Whether it’s diapers or foam packaging, every piece of trash you pick up is conveniently sorted in the app. In addition to using the Clean Swell app to clean up at the beach, you can record your cleanups at the parks, woods, forests, school grounds, etc. from the neighborhood.
Discharge: Clean Swell for iOS | android (free)
5. Clean beach
Download the BeachClean app and join a movement of beach lovers who want to preserve the beauty of the world’s coastlines. BeachClean encourages you to participate, even for as little as two minutes. the Home The tab features posts from people around the world who also use the app to track their collected trash.
To record your own cleanup, tap the plus button and add an optional photo or comment. The next step involves finding and recording the items you’ve removed, whether it’s 10 food containers or a cup of coffee. The key aspect of BeachClean is the friendly community of like-minded people who will motivate you to make a difference, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
Discharge: BeachClean for iOS | android (free)
6. My Coast
The MyCoast application is different from the rest because it is not only dedicated to cleaning beaches. You can use the app to document and report nuisance flooding, storm damage, king tides, abandoned boats, and beach cleanup projects. Depending on what you’re tracking, each report is vital to helping others make better decisions, such as how to reduce plastic waste or help the local economy.
Using the MyCoast app is simple. just play add report, choose your status, choose the type of report, and once you’ve entered all the important information, it’s automatically uploaded to the MyCoast server. Reporting a beach cleanup is as easy as choosing the beach, finding out how many volunteers are there, and taking a corresponding photo or two.
Discharge: My Coast for iOS | android (free)
7. Trash cleanup
Do you need a little motivation to go out daily to collect garbage? The Litter CleanUp app is the perfect way to encourage yourself and others to keep our beaches clean. But regardless of whether you’re cleaning your local park or a hiking trail, you can still use the Litter CleanUp app.
The Litter CleanUp app works like this: Take a photo of the litter you’re picking up, send it, and track your progress. Junk rewards, streak badges, and referral badges are all part of the app’s reward system. In addition to rewards, you can communicate with other members of the app, view your progress, and even send friend requests.
Discharge: Junk Cleanup for iOS | android (free)
8. LitterLotto
Cleaning your local beach has many amazing benefits, but it’s a lack of motivation that keeps people from taking the time to do it. One way to completely get rid of trash is to leave zero waste, however, that’s a long journey.
Now the best way to motivate people to work together and keep our shores clean is to offer incredible discounts and prizes. Sure, it’s great to do your part and pick up the trash, but what if you could win prizes simultaneously?
There is nothing complicated about the LitterLotto app. Take a picture of the trash as you throw it in the bin and you could win big. The more entries you and the community submit, the higher the jackpot prizes. Plus, that means more trash in the dumpster and off the beaches.
Discharge: LitterLotto for iOS | android (free)
These Apps Can Keep Our Coasts Happy and Healthy
In all likelihood, cleaning up the beach is something you want to do. However, it is difficult to know how to start. For those who live near the ocean, it’s much easier to get passionate about cleaning beaches, but those who live farther away may need more of a push.
Fortunately, there are a selection of fantastic smartphone apps that can help encourage you to head to your local beach and start cleaning up. Not only will this small action save sea creatures, but tracking litter can also help reduce plastic waste. Wouldn’t it be nice to visit the ocean without seeing plastic bottles or cigarette butts? To make a change, be sure to use these apps to help keep our beautiful shorelines clean.
