About the International Coastal Cleanup

Scientists estimate that more than 17 billion pounds of plastic enter our ocean every year threatening marine life from corals polyps to sharks, the health of people, and local economies.  By the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish!

International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), spearheaded by the Ocean Conservancy, is the world's largest, one-day volunteer effort to clean up the marine environment and raise awareness for plastic pollution in our oceans. Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of volunteers from over 100 countries will spend their morning on September 17, 2022 collecting millions of pounds of litter and debris on inland roadsides, coastal areas, inland lakes, and rivers. 

Spearheaded globally by the Ocean Conservancy, VolunteerCleanup.org organizes Miami-Dade County’s local participation in this worldwide event with 50+ shoreline cleanups around the county. The 2022 Miami-Dade ICC is made possible by the generous support of our Presenting Sponsors Covanta and the Rickenbacker Marina, our Strategic Sponsors Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Verizon, and the Benjamin & Gloria Joannou, Jr. Family Conservation Fund, our Core Sponsors Miami-Dade County RER-DERM and Pubbelly Sushi, and our Supporting Sponsor Greenberg Traurig and the Consulate General of Canada.

To find a site outside of Miami, please visit the Ocean Conservancy Page.

Participating in the ICC is a great way to learn more about our plastic ocean crisis, while also demonstrating our collective commitment to reducing marine debris. But ICC isn’t just about picking up trash. During the cleanup, you will collect critical citizen science data using the Ocean Conservancy's Clean Swell app, which will be used to drive systematic and policy changes locally, federally and globally. The resulting item-by-item, location-by-location Ocean Trash Index filled with amazing infographics and charts that Ocean Conservancy compiles each year provides the only global snapshot of the marine debris littering coasts and waterways around the world. This valuable information about the types and sources of debris found Analyzed and tracked year by year, 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. 

We need your help to keep this momentum going. Signup and help spread the word!

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