Our oceans are getting trashed—an estimated 14 billion pounds of garbage are dumped into them each year. International Coastal Cleanup Day, on Saturday, September 17, is organized by the Ocean Conservancy to draw attention to the problem and inspire people to act. On last year’s day of action, more than 18 million pounds of trash were collected. This year, organized cleanups are again being held on beaches all over the world, from Tonga to Tanzania. You can find the one nearest you with this map. If that’s still too far away, or you just don’t feel like getting sand in your shoes, don’t worry. Here are five great ways to join the global effort to stem the tide of ocean trash without going anywhere near the beach.

Head to your local waterway to pick up garbage. 

Whether you live in Nebraska or New Mexico, the water flowing near you often ends up in the ocean eventually, and so does the trash it carries. You can sign up for one of the many cleanups in noncoastal regions that are organized in honor of Coastal Cleanup Day, or organize a cleanup event yourself. Check out the Ocean Conservancy’s tool kit for how to do it. Or just grab a pair of gloves and a trash bag (or even better, a reusable container like a bucket) and head out on your own. 

Take the Last Straw Challenge. 

Millions of plastic straws pollute our oceans and cause endangered animals like sea turtles to choke, so the Ocean Conservancy has started a campaign to get people to stop using them. The average American eats out four times a week and is almost always handed a straw (or two). According to the Ocean Conservancy, if 25,000 people skip the straw every time they eat out, it will keep 5 million of the plastic sticks out of our oceans and landfills in just one year. You can take part in the challenge any time, but what better moment to commit than on International Coastal Cleanup Day? Take the pledge to ask your server to hold the straw.

Organize a Schoolyard Cleanup.

Are you a teacher? You can organize a schoolyard cleanup anywhere in the country and register your school through the California Coastal Commission’s Schoolyard Cleanup Program. If you do, you’ll receive assistance and recognition for being a part of International Coastal Cleanup Day. The California Coastal Commission provides pre-cleanup, during cleanup, and after cleanup resources and guidelines to make planning your event as easy as possible. In addition to preventing trash from ultimately reaching the ocean, schoolyard cleanups are a great way to demonstrate environmentally responsible behavior to students. 

Write your legislator asking them to support policies that address ocean trash.

International Coastal Cleanup Day is a great day to be an active citizen and write to your local state representatives about ocean pollution. Some simple policies to advocate for are bans on plastic bags and Styrofoam products, which regularly end up in the ocean and don’t biodegrade. (The 5 Gyres Institute reports that Americans toss 25 million Styrofoam cups in the trash each year.) Many California cities have already banned Styrofoam food containers, and counties in California, Maine, and Massachusetts have banned plastic bags. (You can find out more about efforts to ban plastic bags in California with the Save our Shores campaign.)  Not sure who to complain to? Find your state legislator and their contact information here.

Email or call a local business and ask it to reduce packaging and use ocean-friendly materials.

Ask your favorite restaurant to use packaging made out of biodegradable materials like plant fiber, bioplastic, and Plant Starch Material, all of which are made from corn and plants; glass bottles and paper or cloth bags are also good alternatives.