MIAMI – Ocean Conservancy is calling for volunteers in the Miami area to join the global effort to tackle ocean plastic pollution by participating in Ocean Conservancy’s flagship International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC) event at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on September 29, 2024. Ocean Conservancy’s ICC is the largest volunteer beach cleanup globally. 

“Our beaches are a way of life in Florida, but plastic pollution has taken a toll on these places we love so much. While it’s critical that we turn off the tap of plastics flowing into the environment through prevention, we also need to clean up what’s already out there,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Director of the Florida Conservation Program, Jon Paul “J.P.” Brooker. “Every piece of plastic collected and recorded as part of the International Coastal Cleanup contributes to research and advocacy and makes a tangible difference for our ocean and the creatures that call it home.”

Plastic pollution has a disproportionate impact on Miami, as Dade county generates double the amount of trash per capita per day compared with the national average: 10.8lbs of trash per person per day, compared with 5lbs nationally.

“Furthermore, the location of this cleanup is significant in that Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park was listed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as a park with development potential after the controversial state park development proposal was shut down earlier this month.”

Since the first ICC in 1986, over 18 million volunteers have joined local cleanup efforts big and small to remove over 385 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways around the globe. At last year’s ICC, over 486,000 volunteers collected nearly 8 million pounds of trash globally, including nearly 2 million cigarette butts, over 1.3 million beverage bottles, and over 850,000 bottle caps. Ocean Conservancy is expecting an even larger turnout in 2024.

Every year, more than 11 million metric tons of plastic waste are estimated to enter the ocean, impacting more than 1,300 species of marine life, including seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals. Plastics never fully break down in the environment but rather break up into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. Microplastics are being found everywhere scientists look, from the depths of the Mariana trench to mountain tops, and even our dinner plates, showing up in animal and vegetable proteins alike, salt, and even drinking water.

In addition to the direct benefit of removing trash from the environment, the data collected by ICC volunteers using the Clean Swell app or data sheets contributes to Ocean Conservancy’s marine litter database. This database is the world’s largest repository of marine debris data and is used to inform scientists, conservation groups, governments, and industry leaders about ocean trash to support plastic pollution prevention and advocacy efforts. ICC data has been instrumental in spurring policy change in Florida like being used to promote the Florida balloon release ban and the smoking ban on Miami beaches, as well as other national and international policies like the Farewell to Foam Act and the  upcoming U.N. plastics treaty.

Volunteers can register on Eventbrite. Volunteers will receive cleanup supplies, water bottles and t-shirts. Breakfast will be provided.

If you would like to set up an interview with one of Ocean Conservancy’s experts or RSVP to cover the Miami ICC, please contact Roya Fox at [email protected] or 202.280.6285.

The International Coastal Cleanup media kit with photos, b-roll and data can be found HERE.

You can find a two pager with toplines from the 2023 ICC data HERE.

You can find the full 2023 ICC report HERE.

###

ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY  Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.