While Collier County is in the midst of Hurricane recovery efforts, Keep Collier Beautiful would still like to recognize the time and effort of our volunteers and partners during the 39th annual International Coastal Cleanup last September 21, 2024. Over 1,300 registered volunteers flocked to Collier County’s beaches, canals, and lakes to protect the community’s environment by picking up litter and debris.
The event logged over 3,900 volunteer service hours to help clean Collier County’s beaches and waterways. Volunteers collected more than 460 trash bags of litter and debris from 12 public locations, including 5th Avenue South Beach, Barefoot Beach, Clam Pass, Lake Trafford, Vanderbilt Beach, etc., and 7 private sites such as Airport Rd and Immokalee Rd Canal, S.S. Jolley Bridge, and more. In addition to plastic and glass bottles, cigarette buts, and expected debris, volunteers found cooking utensils, construction materials, beach chairs, and a few dead animals. On average, 3.75 pounds of waste were collected per volunteer.
Among the volunteers who took their valuable time and effort to keep the environment healthy were college, high school, and elementary students from various institutions and clubs. Several Scout Troops, corporate employees, and civic organizations also participated in this event. Collier County residents of all ages and from different walks of life joined to lend their hands for this event, showing the community’s love and care for their homeland.
Keep Collier Beautiful would also like to express its gratitude to all the site captains for helping organize and distribute supplies to the volunteers and to all the sponsors and community partners who supported this cleanup event: FDOT, Collier County Solid & Hazardous Management, Florida Surfn Evolution, City of Naples, Keep America Beautiful, WM, Waste Pro, Walmart, Cascade Cart Solutions, Wastequip, EK Consulting, Collier Community Foundation, Keep Florida Beautiful, The SWFL 100, and C2 Communications.
The International Cleanup event was founded by the Ocean Conservancy, with local efforts being spearheaded by Keep Collier Beautiful and its partner organizations. The community-wide cleanup is meant to bring together volunteers, local businesses, and municipalities in support of Collier County’s unique environment. Through ongoing partnerships, Keep Collier Beautiful helps support litter prevention, education, and community cleanup programs.