Contact:
Communications Office
786-336-1276

Miami, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County and the Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade’s Tobacco Free Workgroup and Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) will join forces with VolunteerCleanup.org in a day of remarkable action with over 3,500 volunteers cleaning 40+ sites during the International Coastal Cleanup Day, September 19, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Hobie Beach in Key Biscayne.

 

This regional effort is part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), which takes place every year in September and is sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy www.oceanconservancy.org. This event is supported locally by business and environmentally conscious organizations as well as community volunteers.

 

Volunteers will participate in collecting millions of pounds of litter and debris on inland roadsides, coastal areas, inland lakes and rivers. Volunteers will assist to clean and protect the environment by eliminating debris that injure wildlife, contaminates our beaches and waterways, and threatens boater safety in Miami-Dade County.

 

Volunteers will gather valuable information about the types and sources of debris found on the beaches. This information is analyzed and tracked year by year, and serves as a powerful tool for educating the public, prompting public policy and effecting positive behavioral change on the part of individuals, organizations and communities.

 

According to Ocean Conservancy, in 2014, approximately 22,777 volunteers participated in beach cleanup in the state of Florida. Over 280,112 pounds of trash was collected covering 861.1 miles. Top items collected including; 229,610 cigarette butts, 51,378 plastic bottle caps, 45,375 food wrappers, 29,603 plastic beverage bottles, 25,162 beverage cans and 26,602 straws and stirrers.

 

We hope you can join the Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade’s Tobacco Free Workgroup and Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) at Hobie Beach in Key Biscayne or in any other shoreline throughout the county for a day of public service.

 

You can make a difference in our world and in our oceans by providing a few hours of your day. To find a site in Miami and register to participate, visit: http://www.volunteercleanup.org/mdcc or call (305) 278-0442.

 

The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.