Pandemic beachgoers brought new trash to Florida. Here are some cleanups you can join
It’s another brisk Sunday afternoon, so you decide to grab your bathing suit and head to the beach. But while spreading out your towel on the warm sand, you spot a thin white string creeping out of the ground.
Yep. Buried deep in the sand is some stranger’s worn, blue surgical mask.
Pandemic waste — anything from discarded latex gloves and surgical masks to dirty disinfecting wipes — has increasingly become part of our public space experience over the past year. And though natural spaces got a brief respite during COVID-19 closures, environmental advocates have warned for months that — like most other single-use plastics — these new everyday products are ending up in our oceans and harming sea life.
Enter South Beach spring break 2021.
“The problem with spring break has made it that much worse,” said Seth Bloomgarden, chairman of Miami’s chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for clean oceans and beaches. “It’s gotten crazy.”
Fortunately, with the crowds have also come new opportunities to (safely) volunteer at beach cleanups around Miami-Dade and Broward counties. While cities do generally pick up big trash items, it’s the smaller microplastics like straws, cigarette butts and masks that get left behind.
Bloomgarden added that while his organization hosts regular cleanups, he thinks more needs to be done at the local and state level to curb ocean pollution, and crackdown on littering during high seasons for tourists.
“For people to come and trash our beaches,... it’s really the wrong message to be sending,” Bloomgarden said. “We should focus more on enforcement of littering and call people out for bad behavior.”
In celebration of National Volunteer Month in April, here are some local organizations and volunteers hosting beach cleanups in your area. Keep in mind you might have to register for some, as they limit volunteer capacity due to COVID-19:
The Surfrider Foundation
The nonprofit organization hosts cleanups and sand dune restorations year round. Keep an eye on upcoming events on their Instagram account and via their website.
Their last beach cleanup on Saturday featured a partnership with ARTECHOUSE, a gallery space in Miami Beach, and local artist Haiiileen. From April 1 to April 14, ARTECHOUSE will donate 10% of its proceeds from ticket sales to Surfrider Miami.
“We love when volunteers come out because they start seeing what the problem is,” said Bloomgarden.
Clean Miami Beach
Clean Miami Beach is a local nonprofit founded by local Beach resident Sophie Ringel. The group organizes weekly beach and wetlands cleanups and frequently partners with local businesses and cities.
Their next volunteer event is a Canal Cleanup, in partnership with eco-fashion brand Bichon and Clear View Kayaks. The event is on Saturday, April 10 at 4 p.m. on Collins Avenue and 24th Street, “on water and on land.” They will have limited kayaks and paddle boards available, on a first come, first serve basis.
On Saturday, April 17, the group is hosting an Earth Day Yoga & Beach Cleanup on 21st Street in Miami Beach, by the blue lifeguard tower. Yoga begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by the cleanup at 10:30 a.m.
Volunteers are asked to wear closed toed shoes, bring a reusable water bottle and wear sun protection. Masks are required.
For more information on how to sign up, visit their website here and their Instagram account here.
Free Plastic
This Key Biscayne organization collects and upcycles plastic waste in South Florida, turning it into pieces of art or household items. During some of their cleanups, the group hosts a live recycling demonstration for their volunteers.
The organization is planning to hold cleanups in April for Earth Day and in June for World Ocean’s Day, but haven’t set the dates yet. Keep up with their cleanup events on their Instagram account.
Free Our Seas And Beyond
Free Our Seas is a group in Broward that collects plastic trash in South Florida beaches and turns them into art to raise awareness on the amount of waste that is left on the local shoreline. “It’s beautiful, yet ugly,” is how they describe their work on their website.
Their next cleanup, which will help build their next sculpture, is on Saturday, April 17 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. by the Dania Beach Pier. Volunteers are asked to wear close-toed shoes and bring a reusable water bottle. Look for the Free Our Seas tent just north of Quarterdeck Restaurant.
Find more information on the event here.
SeaMeClean
SeaMeClean is an organization that spreads awareness on beach cleanliness and reducing plastic waste by engaging with teens on social media regarding the effects of pollution on our beaches. (They also have an interactive Plastic Footprint Calculator where you can input how much plastic waste you produce each week. It then averages out how many pounds of plastic you produce per year and throughout your lifetime.)
This group has also been posting images and videos of the trash in South Beach through the spring break season. Keep up with their cleanup events on their Instagram account.
VolunteerCleanup.org
An online initiative started by a South Florida couple, VolunteerCleanup.org is a comprehensive platform that tracks upcoming cleanups happening in the area. While big nonprofit organizations have an easier time finding volunteers for cleanup events, this website brings small-scale organizers to a larger audience.
They post up-to-date information on upcoming cleanups every week, so be sure to check out their website when you’re in the mood for some beach cleaning.
