Give Miami Day giving period has started! Here at VolunteerCleanup.org, we LOVE picking up trash and doing our mission-oriented work, but asking for money, well…..not so much!  That’s why GMD is the ONLY time we actively fundraise and ask for donations from the community. This newsletter is shamelessly dedicated to asking for your support, and also sharing our significant accomplishments over the past year.

Give Miami Day on Thursday, November 21st, is hosted by The Miami Foundation, this annual event fuels the work of over 1,000 local nonprofits – including VolunteerCleanup.Org – helping to build a stronger, more vibrant Miami. To give now, go here:  https://www.givemiamiday.org/organization/volunteercleanup

In addition to the Miami Foundation matching $25 of every donation, we have a generous donor who is going to match your donation (up to a total of $20,000).!.

WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED OVER SINCE LAST GMD?

At VolunteerCleanup.org, we are laser-focused on the plastic pollution crisis in our oceans. We believe everyone has a role to play and that the solution is a shared responsibility across individuals, businesses, and government. Here’s how we’ve created change across these key groups:

Individual

• International Coastal Cleanup Miami-Dade in September was bigger and better than ever. We had a remarkable 3,615 volunteers show up to protect our planet, collecting a mind-blowing 25,082 pounds of trash at 71 cleanup sites across Miami-Dade County. This cleanup marks our biggest achievement yet, and it’s extra special as we celebrate our 10th anniversary of hosting International Coastal Cleanup for Miami-Dade!! If that weren’t enough, the Ocean Conservancy told us that our event is the 3rd largest county program in the Country – just after LA and San Francisco!! See all the results and some really great TV segments here.
• We continue to demonstrate that cleanups do indeed provide an eye-opening experience that inspires people to change their personal behaviors. Check out the results of our post-ICC volunteer survey here.
• In the past year alone, 636 cleanups have been coordinated through our web platform, with over 10,000 volunteers collecting an estimated 127,000 pounds of trash. We are investing in the community, and new leaders and volunteers are joining the mission every single weekend. With new funds, we plan to start a ‘Supply Grant’ to outfit new cleanup organizers with the tools they need to lead effective and educational cleanups.
• We are now a Leave No Trace community partner, actively working to educate people about the 7 principles of enjoying nature responsibly, especially as it pertains to islands of Biscayne Bay. Learn more about the Leave No Trace principals here.
• We are working to get the final 700 Biscayne Bay License Plates assigned to cars to reach the 3,000 required before they start printing them. Our friends at the Brady Hunter Foundation paid for all of them, so they are FREE for you to put on your car, truck or trailer.!. This is a top priority for us to accomplish by the end of the year, we’d love if you’d get yours here, or send the link to a friend who loves the Bay. 
  
  

Business

• This year, we’ve hosted 30 companies for our signature Corporate Day of Service cleanups, with each team committing to meaningful personal and business changes. Originally launched as a fundraising initiative, the program quickly evolved as we recognized the power of bringing entire teams on-site to see the problem firsthand. At the end of each event, we hold a conversation to discuss the realities of the issue and brainstorm solutions on how their business can reduce the amount of plastics they put out into the world. With half of our partners returning for repeat events, the value and impact of this work speak for themselves. If your company would like to have a service day, check out your options here.
• We launched our Recycle Bin rental program for festivals and special events with a generous grant from the City of Miami Beach. Recycling is not THE only answer, but will play an important role in creating a circular economy, and large events have a great opportunity to collect maximum amounts of aluminum cans for minimal effort. Are you involved with an event? We’d love for you to use our Recycle Bins.
  
  

Government 

• Dave is Co-Chair of the Biscayne Bay Marine Health Coalition, and VolunteerCleanup.Org is the fiscal agent. On May 20, 2024, we held the 5th bi-annual Biscayne Bay Marine Health Summit at Jungle Island and hosted over 500 attendees representing a wonderful cross-section of interests and expertise, from government and business to science, academia, and community/non-profits. These summits are a driving force behind the current Bay protection and restoration efforts. All the sessions are available for you to watch free here.
• Dave LOVES doing policy work through his work as Chair of the Biscayne Bay Marine Health Coalition and on his board seat on the County’s Biscayne Bay Watershed Management Advisory Board, He – in partnership with other allies and non-profits – has had some incredible wins since last GMD including:
  • WIN: Enhanced State Stormwater Permit requirements that increases the requirements for design and maintenance of municipal stormwater systems to address plastics and trash that flow through our storm drains all over Florida.
  • WIN: New County Water Quality rules that now require cities to design and maintain their stormwater systems so that ZERO TRASH be allowed to exit into waterways. We’ve been chasing this massive policy win since 2016!
  • WIN: County ordinance to eliminate the distribution of single-use plastics and polystyrene in all future County contracts with concessionaires doing business on County property 
  • IN-PROGRESS: Take a look at your recycling bins. Chances are, your bins and dumpsters are not properly labeled on what should be going in the bins, which is causing an almost a 50% contamination rate. Dave has been getting legislation pushed through various municipalities to require effective labeling on recycle bins, and promoting a really good label design from https://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/.