RICHMOND, Va. — About 30 volunteers gathered along the James River in Richmond on Sunday morning to remove plastic pollution as part of a global initiative to protect marine ecosystems from the effects of climate change.
The cleanup was organized by Save the Earth from A to Z or ASEZ, a university student volunteer group affiliated with the World Mission Society Church of God that operates in more than 175 countries. Sunday’s event was part of ASEZ’s Blue Carbon 2026 initiative, which runs from April 12 through June 8 and focuses on reducing plastic pollution in coastal and marine ecosystems.
Volunteers came from across the region, including Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Newport News and Richmond.
Video shows student volunteers pick up plastic along the James River in Richmond
Naischa Saavedra, an ASEZ volunteer who traveled from Washington, D.C. for the event, said the goal is to stop plastic from reaching the ocean before it becomes harder to remove…