ATLANTIC CITY — Summer is drawing nearer at the Jersey Shore, and that can only mean one thing: It's almost time to pack the nipple cream, jock itch spray, canned ravioli and foot pumice.

Each of those items was found by volunteers cleaning up New Jersey's beaches last spring and summer, according to the environmental group Clean Ocean Action, which released its annual beach sweeps report Tuesday.

Nearly 7,000 volunteers statewide removed nearly 277,000 pieces of trash from 83 sites along New Jersey's 127-mile coastline last year — 83% of it plastic.

But they also picked up a head-spinning (and sometimes stomach-turning) array of stuff that was just plain weird.

Let's start with the half-a-penny that someone found on the sand. Or the Invisalign teeth retainer, the fuzzy monster slipper or the toilet bowl.

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Most people heading to the beach pack sunscreen. But here in Jersey, they take that extra step, also bringing along nipple cream, jock itch spray and a "reusable" maxi pad.

No trip to the beach would be complete without lunch, and 2024 beachgoers did not disappoint, leaving behind a coconut, chicken wings, a soggy tortilla, several uncooked hams (leaving it on the sand for six months is NOT how to cure a ham), and (this had to be from a local) a full container of sausage and eggs from Wawa.

Not so local was the unopened can of ravioli, which had to be from a tourist from parts unknown, because no Italian from New Jersey, New York or Philadelphia eats canned ravioli.

There also was a Victoria's Secret bra, a pregnancy test (results unknown), a container of pepper spray, a meat thermometer and a second-place trophy from an unknown endeavor.

There was every 13-year-old's go-to move for attracting girls: a can of Axe body spray. Not to be outdone (perhaps by his older brother?), there was a bottle of "Obsession For Men" cologne.

If it seems like the haul included everything but the kitchen sink, someone found one of those, too.

Also found was a backpack full of beer cans, a full can of Red Bull, a gallon of maple syrup, a Jesus figurine, a St. Michael prayer ring, a yarmulke and a pride flag, proving yet again that the Jersey Shore is for everyone.

There were numerous bags of dog poop, left behind by pet owners who were conscientious enough to collect the waste, put it into a plastic bag and then leave it on the sand instead of walking 25 or 30 feet to a trash can with it. Numerous dirty diapers also were left behind, as were items of drug paraphernalia and at least one small jar of marijuana.

There was a piece of pumice to scrape dead skin off someone's feet.

And finally, there was this: Something listed simply as "yellow squishy thing."

Some encouraging trends emerged from the trash. Several years after New Jersey adopted a ban on single-use plastic bags, beach cleaners found the lowest amount of such items in the history of the beach sweeps, dating to 1985, at just over 1% of all items collected.

The state also is considering a law mandating a reduction in the amount of non-reusable packaging materials, which accounted for about a third of the most commonly found items collected during the sweeps.

The amount of single-use plastic items found on beaches also declined significantly between 2021, when a law was enacted to limit their use, and last year. Foam takeout containers were down 9.5%, foam cups were down 7%, foam trays were down 20%, single-use plastic bags were down 44% and plastic straws were down 20%.

The single most collected items were plastic bottle caps or lids (48,611), plastic pieces (29,999), food wrappers or bags (24,802), foam pieces (16,691), straws or stirrers (14,996), cigarette butts or filters (13,042) and plastic beverage bottles (11,248).

Since the sweeps began 39 years ago, volunteers have picked up nearly 8.8 million pieces of trash from New Jersey's beaches.

More beach sweeps are planned for 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at strands up and down the shore. Register to participate at cleanoceanaction.org .

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