VolunteerCleanup.org

VolunteerCleanup.org is the go-to online website destination in Miami connecting those who are organizing shoreline cleanups with volunteers looking for cleanups to join. We are essentially an event registration and management technology platform that is successfully building a community to act and advocate around the marine debris issue. While cleanups make an immediate impact on the local environment, the true value is in the eye-opening experience to the massive amounts of plastic entering our waters. With an unforgettable hands-on experience that shocks the conscious, cleanup organizers have the opportunity to educate volunteers on the sources, how they can reduce single-use plastics in their own lives, and encouraging them to take further action within their sphere of influence. 

• While we sometimes lead our own cleanups, our role is to support local leaders to take action in their own communities and help them lead successful cleanups. When they succeed, they will lead more.
• Our technology platform is a centralized hub that introduces volunteers to the many wonderful community leaders, which builds and connects a strong community of advocates. When they post their cleanup to our website, leaders can promote their cleanup to our database of 12,000+ local volunteers. In addition, our event registration features help them manage their registrations.
• Any volunteer looking for a cleanup to attend can come to our website, find a cleanup, register online, and sign up for weekly notifications of all upcoming cleanups within 15 miles of their zip code.
• To date, we have helped facilitate over 3,000 cleanups attended by 29,000 volunteers who have removed an estimated 600,000 pounds of marine debris from local shorelines. 
• We actively train and mentor up-and-coming leaders and environmental organizations to lead their own cleanups so we can scale our grassroots movement.

In addition, we have a few other core projects:

• International Coastal Cleanup Day: We are the Ocean Conservancy's local partner on the ground and coordinate Miami-Dade County's participation in International Coastal Cleanup Day each September. We organize 70+ simultaneous shoreline cleanups all over Miami-Dade with 3,500 volunteers removing 25,000 pounds of marine debris from our beaches and Biscayne Bay.
• Corporate Days of Service: We lead private corporate and group days of service and team-building shoreline cleanups that are educational, fun, engaging, and impactful. Through this experience, we lead employees in discussions about how their business can play a role in reducing unnecessary single-use plastics.
• Government Policy: We strategically engage with local governments (both elected and staff) to drive policy and maintenance changes that reduce the amount of single-use plastics that make their way into Biscayne Bay through stormwater systems, canals, and ineffective waste management.