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International Coastal Cleanup Day Removes Almost 1,400 Pounds of Trash from Walton County Beaches

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Walton County, FL – The WCT Department, along with the Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles, hosted an International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 16. Volunteer Beach Ambassador teams worked with participants across five beach accesses from Miramar Beach to Inlet Beach.

Participants were able to track the amount of debris collected through the Clean Swell App. Information about the types of debris collected are communicated to the Ocean Conservancy TIDES Database. This information will provide valuable data to experts and educational programs that work to address the ever-growing problem of ocean litter.

Stats from the ICC Day are included below:

  • In total, 205 participants showed up to search the beaches for trash and debris.

 

  • 6,530 individual pieces of trash and debris were collected.

 

  • The top three items collected were cigarette butts (1,496), plastic/ foam pieces (912), and bottle caps (867)

 

  • The top three beaches for debris collected were Ed Walline (2,425), Miramar Beach (836), and Santa Clara (770).

 

  • Participants removed and collected 1,364 pounds of debris from Walton County beaches.

“It is truly impressive how our small community consistently demonstrates a true commitment to the environment,” said Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles (FOSWT) ICC Director Christina Cabral. “Walton County participants should feel proud of their contribution to the world’s largest volunteer effort to remove and record trash collected from local lakes, waterways, beaches, and the ocean. A special thanks goes to Volunteer Beach Ambassadors (VBAs) who tirelessly managed registration, shirt distribution and trash data collection.”

For more information on South Walton’s ICC day please contact Christina Cabral at cabralagain@gmail.com or (615) 232-4700.

For more information on International Coastal Cleanup day 2022, please visit the Ocean Conservancy website at www.oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/international-coastal-cleanup/icc/