Student volunteers remove plastic pollution along the James River in Richmond

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.

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.

"We're here today to reduce that before the plastic can go into the ocean — we're here to pick it up first," Saavedra said.

Saavedra said the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems is far-reaching and affects more than just wildlife.

"These ecosystems, they're feeding the animals, the plants that live here, also the people that use the water for electricity," Saavedra said. "If the plastic goes into the ocean, then its organisms can die from it. They can get stuck in the plastic. Not only that, the fish won't be healthy. And even the water that's powering all these systems, they won't work efficiently because there's plastic in it."

ASEZ runs four ongoing campaigns locally and internationally, covering crime reduction, climate change, disaster relief and community service. Sunday's cleanup fell under the organization's climate change campaign.

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