More than 100 people got their hands dirty Saturday morning for an annual clean sweep of the beaches and marshes along the Grand Strand.
At Cherry Grove Beach in North Myrtle Beach, more than 150 volunteers participated, picking up trash and cigarette butts.
"If you don't stay on top of it, we're going to live in a garbage dump," said volunteer Rob Kayton.
Fisherman Michael Vereen was fishing at the pier and couldn't help but admire the work the group was doing.
"I think it's wonderful," he said.
Kayton says he's seen countless studies where marine life in the area has been affected by liter.
"Sea turtles might see plastic and think it's a jellyfish, we see it all the time," he said.
This is the 23rd year for the annual sweep. Across the state volunteers have collected more than one thousand tons of trash in the 22 years of the clean sweep.
