Universities, aquariums and national parks will often have great resources and point you in the direction of finding a professional to present at your beach cleanup.
While cleaning trash off the beach positively impacts the wildlife and coast in the immediate area, a new day brings a new wave of litter and pollution. The lasting impact of beach cleanups comes from what people learn at the event, including educational presentations and seeing what the most-commonly littered items are.ĭo some research on local wildlife and marine conservation individuals. Call local businesses and invite them to the event or go in person and distribute event flyers for businesses to hang. In addition, you’d be surprised how many local businesses want to get involved in conservation and helping the community-especially those based near the beach. If you are hosting a beach cleanup open to the community, create an event on Facebook and share with local businesses, friends and family. Social media is an invaluable tool for getting the word out about your beach cleanup. When reached out to Sarasota County for our World Oceans Day Beach Cleanup, we were overwhelmed with the County’s support for the event and couldn’t have done it without them! The county provided cleanup supplies, water, and helped set up and run the event. It’s likely the local representative or workers in charge will have invaluable information on the area and may even help host the beach cleanup! However, if you are hosting a large-scale event open to the public, you may need permits or official permission, so be sure to reach out to the governing body responsible for the area you intend to clean.
If it is just a few of you and your friends walking the beach picking up trash, this component is likely unnecessary. Get County or City Permission to Host a Beach Cleanup & Information on Trash Disposal We recommend hosting the event between 7 and 11 am. Pick an exact start and end time and outline an itinerary for the day so your volunteers know exactly what to expect. Plan to host your beach cleanup in the morning, before the sun is the strongest. Under direct sunlight in the heat of the day, a beach cleanup becomes pretty miserable. hosted its first beach cleanup on America’s #1 beach, pristine Siesta Key Beach, and more than 300 pounds of trash were collected! Choose a local beach or coastal area you care about with easy access and minimal safety hazards. While you may think you need to choose a beach known for trash with visible debris everywhere, you’d be surprised at how much trash lurks on even the cleanest beaches. Whether you want to host a beach cleanup with a few friends or get the whole community involved, there’s no need to stress! Even the most large-scale beach cleanups can be very simple with the right planning and organization.
This how-to guide goes over how to host a beach cleanup step by step while keeping costs down and making the most impact through education. It’s an event that brings the community together and raises awareness of plastic pollution, and the best part is anyone can do it! A beach cleanup doesn’t have to be an expensive event-all you need is a little bit of organization and dedicated volunteers.
Hosting a beach cleanup is much more than just picking trash up off the coastline. Join the Fight Against Plastic Pollution by Hosting a Beach Cleanup