DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Saturday, Sept. 21, marks the 39th annual International Coastal Cleanup.

Every September, hundreds of thousands of volunteers pick up trash from beaches and waterways across the world, including in Central Florida.

What You Need To Know

  • There are 50 International Coastal Cleanup sites across Central Florida

  • To find a cleanup site, visit Ocean Conservancy’s ICC site map

  • Volusia County officials say they have been preparing for the event since April, and will have 25 cleanup sites on Saturday

  • Volusia County resident Denise Mueller first attended the ICC 15 years ago, and now cleans up the beach every day

The International Coastal Cleanup is an annual event created by Ocean Conservancy to help keep coastlines and waterways clean. In Central Florida, there are more than 50 cleanup sites across Brevard, Flagler, Marion and Volusia counties.

Cleanup site locations can be found on Ocean Conservancy’s ICC site map.

In Volusia County, the Environmental Management Division has been preparing for the cleanup since April. Habitat Conservation Plan Field Manager Nicole Weiss said there will be 25 cleanup sites throughout the county. She said the event is a great way for residents to get involved in cleanup up the county’s waterways.

“It's just a great way to get everybody worldwide involved in helping to clean up our waterways,” Weiss said.

Last year, volunteers picked up more than 6,000 pounds of trash from Volusia’s beaches and waterways. Weiss said it’s important to keep the coastline clean because it provides essential habitat for plants and wildlife.

“Volusia County, in total, has 50 miles of coastline,” Weiss said. “And then we also have the Indian River Lagoon, which is one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America.” 

Volusia County resident Denise Mueller first participated in the International Coastal Cleanup 15 years ago. Now, cleaning up the beach is something she does every day.

Like many Daytona Beach residents, Mueller starts her day down at the beach — but there’s something unique about the retired teacher’s morning walk. 

“The teacher in me sees garbage, and I just started picking it up,” Mueller said.

Mueller picks up trash every day during her walks, and says she started doing it because it bothered her to see litter on the beach, and she wanted to set a good example for her students. 

“They need to learn to take care of our environment,” Mueller said. “They need to learn to take care of what we live in. It sounds crazy, but you know, to make this world a better place.”

Mueller spent 30 years as a Montessori preschool and kindergarten teacher. She said it’s a profession where you lead by example. 

“Modeling behavior for the kids is more important than anything, especially in today's world,” she said.

Mueller picks up dozens of handfuls of trash every day and said certain items are most common on Volusia’s beaches.

“Cigarette butts are a big one,” she said. “Caps to water bottles are typically found everywhere on the beach.” 

She also sees a lot of plastics, like straws, beach toys and food wrappers. 

“If that goes out in the ocean, it's very shiny, so you know that the wildlife will eat it,” she said.

Mueller said small pieces of trash make her worried for wildlife, especially during sea turtle nesting season. 

“Those creatures need to be kept safe,” she said. “It's not fair to them that we're not taking care of their environment.”

On Saturday, hundreds of others will also be cleaning Volusia County’s beaches during the International Coastal Cleanup. As a troop leader, Mueller took her Girl Scouts to the event, and encourages others to attend, too.

“Going to the cleanup is a great way to actually see what's happening to the environment around you,” Mueller said. “It makes you want to do more to help.”

Weiss said that 1,100 people in Volusia County have signed up for the cleanup. Mueller said it’s an act that will help future generations. 

“It's just something that you have a desire to make this world cleaner and better for the generations ahead of us,” she said.

Mueller said people who enjoy Volusia County’s beaches should help care for them, too.

“If you're going to take advantage of it, you should enjoy it and take care of it,” she said.

Information on Volusia County cleanup sites can be found on EventBrite. Weiss said that even if a cleanup site’s registration is full, volunteers can still attend. She said if an event is listed as “full” online, she recommends people bring their own supplies, like gloves and buckets.

Reagan Ryan is a 2023 — 2025 Report for America Corps Member, covering the environment and climate across Central Florida for Spectrum News 13. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.