The Nueces River Authority, with guidance from local partners, has designed and launched initial components of the Up2U Clean Rivers and Beaches campaign on the Texas Gulf Coast. Up2U is a highly successful home-grown social marketing campaign that advocates personal responsibility for environmental protection, especially litter prevention. The campaign has been delivered in the upper reaches of the Nueces River Basin since 2004, where it has reached over 120,000 people and been an effective catalyst in changing littering behavior. The campaign was re-designed for delivery in the coastal market in 2009. With support from regional partners, including the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP), the campaign has expanded its impact across the Texas coast. The cornerstone of the campaign is a logo-emblazoned mesh litter bag, which is both a litter prevention tool and an advertising tool. These bags are now being distributed to beachgoers, boaters, students, and litter prevention advocates from the Nueces headwaters to the coast.

We gratefully acknowledge the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) for their leadership and support in expanding the Up2U campaign to the Texas coast. CBBEP has played a critical role in securing funding, implementing outreach efforts, and advancing the program’s goals in coastal communities. Several photos featured on this page are courtesy of CBBEP and are used with appreciation.

Select photos on this page are courtesy of the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP).