VolunteerCleanup.Org hands out reusable pocket ashtrays to smokers at music festivals, events, tobacco shops and while walking down the street. We approach mid-smoke with a smile and a very simple 'Hey friend, here is a free pocket ashtray for you so you have a good place to put your butt when you are done.' While that might be the end of the engagement, the conversation is just beginning. The messaging on the pocket ashtray educates them that their butts are not biodegradable (they are made of cellulose plastic), and that cigarette litter washes down the storm drains and straight out to waterways. What they do after that is up to them.

• If you would like some pocket ashtrays to hand out, or would like to custom brand your own, email PocketAshtray@VolunteerCleanup.Org and give us your plan.
• It costs us $1 to put a reusable pocket ashtray directly into the hands of a smoker. If you would like to support our efforts, feel free to make a donation.

Commissioner Ken Russell proclaims May 12, 2016 as "Henry West Lab 5th Grade Class Day" for their work in raising awareness of plastic trash in Biscayne Bay and taking action with shoreline cleanups. Story after the video.

VolunteerCleanup.Org runs a 'Cash for Trash' program to help student clubs, groups and PTA's raise money for projects, give students community service hours, and provide a valuable service for our planet. 

While groups can use the money for any project - including new band instruments, uniforms, or a school trip, we like specifically like to fund greening program projects within the schools. Want a water bottle refill station, recycling bins, or a school garden? We'd love to help partipcate. 

For more info, email Dara@VolunteerCleanup.Org

Financial or Material Donations

Financial Donations: Your tax-deductible gift to the Miami-Dade Coastal Cleanup, Inc. - a 501(c)(3) non-profit - helps us promote understanding and education about coastal debris issues by engaging Miamians to rehabilitate coastal areas through cleanups.

Corporate Sponsors: If you or your organization are interested in sponsoring VolunteerCleanup.Org (Miami-Dade Coastal Cleanup), See our Sponsorship Package.

Material Donations: If you have materials that you think would be valuable (services, buckets, reusable gloves, plastic bags, etc), please email Dara@VolunteerCleanup.Org

Miami Dade Coastal Cleanup, Inc. is a tax approved 501(c)(3) public charity by the IRS and a Florida registered charity (#CH26608). No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling toll-free (800-435-7352) within the State. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendations by the State.

Sponsors

VolunteerCleanup.Org relies on the support of local businesses and government entities to help fund this monumental event. Financial contributions from the sponsors listed below helped us increase the number of sites and providing material support for all the volunteers.

For tax-deductible sponsorship opportunities, check out our Sponsorship Package contact Dara Schoenwald at Dara@VolunteerCleanup.Org or 786-525-6040. 

Thank you to our 2016 Sponsors

VolunteerCleanup.Org is a project of Miami-Dade Coastal Cleanup, Inc., which is a tax approved 501c3 public charity by the IRS and a Florida registered charity (#CH26608). A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling toll-free (800-435-7352) within the State. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendations by the State.

      Hi, you've reached an outdated link on our site.   Please visit our new ICC page at: 

http://www.volunteercleanup.org/miami_coastal_cleanup_day

Come meet other Change Makers at the Official ICC Volunteer Appreciation and Celebration Party

Once again, we are excited to partner with the Love the Everglades Movement. 

The 9th ANNUAL EVERGLADES AWARENESS BENEFIT CONCERT AT GRAMPS will be our official Volunteer Celebration. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/712232532250837

FREE FOR ALL ICC VOLUNTEERS.  You will receive your pass/ticket in your giveaway bag. 

This is an all-ages, family friendly, educational, environmental and musical event! Face painting for kids, photo booths,  and more! 

NOTE is the day after ICC, not the same day!!! 

Sunday, September 18, 2016
2:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.

HOSTED BY PLOPPY PALACE PRODUCTIONS
& LOVE THE EVERGLADES MOVEMENT

On Sunday, September 18, 2016 Ploppy Palace Productions and Love The Everglades Movement will be hosting a concert to raise awareness and funds for Everglades protection and public education. As part of this three stage extravaganza, some of South Florida's top bands, spoken word artists and community activists will join together to raise awareness for this vital natural resource.

There will be musical performances by The Spam Allstars, Army Gideon, The Baboons, Iko Iko, The Medicine Box Acoustic, Nag Champayons, The Oski Foundation, Magic City Hippies, Blue Sky Drive, Chantil Dukart, Above The Skyline, Spank, Zen Per Capita, PATH, Venus Rising, Kuyayky, Rachelle Coba, Sarah Packiam, Michelle Forman Duo, Steve Minotti, Grant Livingston, Anthony Nelson, Mr. Grim Reapa, Orion, Haviken Hayes and more.

Guest speakers include: FL State Rep. David Richardson, Houston Cypress from Love The Everglades Movement, Laura Reynolds from Conservation Concepts; Rhonda Roff from Sierra Club Callusa Chapter; Dara Schoenwald & David Doebler from VolunteerCleanup.org; George Cavros from Floridians For Solar Choice, Sam Van Leer from Urban Paradise Guild, Seth Bloomgarden from Surfrider Foundation Miami Chapter and other concerned citizens.

Spoken word by Alonso, Marcus Blake, Rio and more.

Dance and performance by Elviza's Rockabelly Hippies featuring Elviza, Symphony & Sofia Luna plus Melody Gedeon and more.

Live art by Anibal Fernandez, Linx, Rei Ramirez and more.

Information booths from Love The Everglades Movement,VolunteerCleanup.org and other organizations.

Vendors and small businesses promoting and selling their merchandise, including The Wallflower Gallery, Progressive Rags and others.

Face painting with Them There Eyes. More kids activities are being developed, so stay tuned!

This is an all ages event
Admission is $ 10. FREE FOR ICC VOLUNTEERS 
Children under 12 - FREE
============================================

The 9th Annual Everglades Awareness Benefit Concert at Gramps is sponsored by Ploppy Palace Productions and The Miccosukee Tribe of Florida, Dr. Michael Lemus and VolunteerCleanup.org.

Production Support by 7th Circuit Productions, Miccosukee Media, Mut Communications and KPW Media.

Gramps
176 NW 24th St
Miami, Florida 33127
www.gramps.com
www.facebook.com/grampsmiami

International Coastal Cleanup Day - September 15, 2018

Spearheaded by the Ocean Conservancy, this is the worlds largest single day cleanup event with cleanups in all 50 states and over 100 countries around the world. In 2015, 791,336 volunteers worldwide removed 18,062,911 pounds of marine debris. Ocean Conservancy's Annual Index of Marine Debris 

VolunteerCleanup.Org is the Miami-Dade host with 40+ sites across the county from Sunny Isles to Homestead.
In 2016, in Miami Dade, 2,200 volunteers removed 17,500 pounds of marine debris on this one single day of service. 

2018 Miami Coastal Cleanup Event Info

The 2017 Miami-Dade Coastal Cleanup will take place on Saturday, September 15th, 2018 at 50 locations around Miami-Dade

Get notified of upcoming cleanups near you here: http://www.volunteercleanup.org/volunteer
For a list of last years 2017 sites, visit http://www.volunteercleanup.org/iccmiami2017
To find a site outside of Miami, please visit the Ocean Conservancy Page
To become a site captain host a location or support our efforts, email Dara@VolunteerCleanup.Org

Worldwide, thousands of volunteers from over 100 countries will spend their morning collecting millions of pounds of litter and debris on inland roadsides, coastal areas, inland lakes and rivers. Volunteers will assist in this effort to clean and protect the environment by eliminating debris that injures wildlife, contaminates our beaches and waterways, and threatens boater safety in Miami-Dade County. 

The ICC is much more than just removing trash. By using detailed, standardized data cards, volunteers gather valuable information about the types and sources of debris found. Analyzed and tracked year by year, this information serves as a powerful tool for educating the public, influencing public policy, and effecting positive behavioral change on the part of individuals, organizations, and communities.

The collection of this data by cleanup volunteers of all ages and the resulting report prepared by The Ocean Conservancy is used in the following ways:

• To raise awareness of the quantities and types of marine debris;
• To determine the various sources of marine debris;
• To evaluate the impact of marine debris on wildlife and habitat;
• To assist in the enforcement of regulations against illegal dumping;
• To influence industries that manufacture products that cause harm to the marine environment.

We hope you can join us in Miami - or in any other shoreline throughout the world.

Every year, a very large unsanctioned / unpermitted event called Floatopia brings 2-3,000 people with pool floats to Miami Beach as a result of a very effective social media concept. Every year locals complain about the amount of litter that ends up on the beach and in the waters. This year, a couple eco-groups decided to do something about it and put a plan together to help mitigate the problem. A major undertaking to say the least. Read how it went below....

I got an email out of the blue from a 5th grade teacher who heard about my work. She had been teaching her students about trash in the waters, and and asked if I we could coordinate a cleanup for her 45 students. The plan ultimately evolved into a one hour presentation to the students and then a shoreline cleanup involving the students and their siblings / parents. We broke up into 3 teams : 1) plastic bottles, 2) rigid plastics for the Method Soap collection, and 3) trash. We picked up 40+ bags of trash and recyclables that the ocean spit out in a little over an hour. Honestly, this was the most fun I've had in a long time - especially knowing that none of these 45 kids will ever litter. This may be a new direction in my strategy.

You can see my presentation here :

On a personal note - many of you are aware that the kayak I use to cleanup trash from the bay was stolen, and there was a tremendous outpouring of support from so many people wanting to help me find a new one. I was fully planning on purchasing another newer better one myself, but 3 very dear friends who so believed in what I am doing sent unsolicited contributions which covered the cost of my new kayak and an electric motor to help me continue and improve my efforts. I am so incredibly humbled by their generosity, belief in me, and kind words about how much my work inspires them. This past weekends cleanup is dedicated to these very dear friends who probably don't want to be publically named. If anyone else wants to help, they can grab a few friends and I will help organize / host a trash cleanup - which is ultimately what this is all about anyway. I am debating a name for my new kayak now. I have come up with 'Change Maker', 'Trash-Yak', or 'Guardian of the Bay'. 'White Trash' and 'Ecoyak' were also possibilities.  Standby for the final decision.