Keep Volusia Beautiful: Anti-Littering Initiatives
With over 1,400 square miles, Volusia County has a lot of land; for comparison, the county is larger than the state of Rhode Island!
Situated along the coast, the area is blessed with a wealth of natural beauty, including beaches, rivers and natural lands such as preservations, parks and conservation lands. And while use and appreciation of these lands is important, so too is respect. That’s why Volusia County encourages everyone to do their part to help Keep Volusia Beautiful!
Your contribution can be big or small, from organizing a beach cleanup to adopting a road to picking up litter on your daily walk, every litter bit counts. And with a range of programs and services, there are plenty of opportunities to make an impact. Keep reading to find out how you can get involved!
Volunteer opportunities and ways to get involved
Adopt a beach
Want to volunteer to take care of your favorite mile along Volusia County ’s coastline? The Adopt a Beach program is a great way to do your part in keeping Volusia County ’s beaches clean. A clean beach is not only pleasant for us, but safer for beach wildlife, too! With support and supplies, adopters (families, companies, organizations) clean their mile at least four times a year.
Adopt a road
With the amount of trash littered on the roadside every day, individual involvement is becoming increasingly important. Find out how you, your business or your organization can help keep Volusia beautiful by volunteering to adopt a road!
Adopt a trail
Volusia County Environmental Management’s Volunteer Volusia Program has opportunities for volunteers to Adopt-a-Trail on a county conservation land. By adopting a trail, volunteers will assist with maintaining and enhancing the trail system, accessibility for all trail users, and monitoring exotic invasive plant species. Volunteer groups will adopt a section of the over 43-mile trail system and agree to provide a minimum of quarterly maintenance. Volunteers will perform basic trail maintenance, including removing debris to keep trails clear and reporting issues along the trail, such as damaged or missing signage. On-site orientation and training will be provided by county staff to train volunteers in various aspects of proper trail maintenance and associated land management. Volunteers will be asked to commit to one-year “adoption”, which includes quarterly maintenance of their section of trail. Volunteers will be invited to participate in the Annual Trails Day Event. The Adopt-a-Trail program will allow volunteers to be involved in the protection and care of Volusia County Conservation Lands. Through this program, participating volunteer residents and groups will learn about conservation lands, the valuable ecosystem services they provide and how they affect our quality of life.
For more information on the Adopt A Trail Program or for questions, contact Christie Miller at clmiller@volusia.org.
Adopt a park
Community organizations, businesses, school groups can help to beautify the county’s parks and trails and keep them litter-free. Individuals over the age of 18 may volunteer to adopt a park or trail in their community.
For more information contact Angie Walker at 386-736-5953, ext. 12461, or awalker@volusia.org. The selected park must be maintained by Volusia County Parks, Recreation and Culture.
Beach cleanups
Volusia County encourages groups and individuals to conduct one-time cleanups at any location of their choice. If you're organizing your own beach cleanup, please let Beach Safety know by completing the Beach Activity Notification form and emailing to Lynea Lewis at ldlewis@volusia.org.
Tips for a successful beach cleanup:
- Remind all participants to keep organic material on the beach (seaweed, plants, seeds, etc.) and to clean carefully around sand dunes and avoid walking on dune vegetation. These organic items provide food for beach wildlife and help build the beach by trapping windblown sand.
- Remember that cleaning up small pieces of trash is just as important as the big stuff! Cigarette butts and small pieces of plastic are hazards, too.
- Recycle all plastic and aluminum items found. Have participants separate these items during your clean-up and then dispose of recyclables in the recycle bins on the beach.
- To reduce waste, use buckets, old pillowcases or reuse small plastic shopping bags for trash found and give only one glove per volunteer to use during the clean-up. Large garbage bags are often not filled completely and may be cumbersome on the beach to clean with.
- If you have any beach issues, call Beach Safety at 386-239-6414 and press 0. This includes if you find any dead, sick or injured sea turtles, birds, marine mammals or other animals on the beach. Never push a washed in (or stranded) animal back into the water.
- Let us know how your clean-up went in the week following your event. You can call 386-238-4668, e-mail rchabot@volusia.org or report online with the number of people who participated, the length of time and the approximate pounds of trash removed off the beach
Clean Swell App
With the Clean Swell® app, you can join a global movement to keep beaches, waterways and the ocean trash-free. The app offers the ability to organize a beach cleanup, track every item of trash you collect, share cleanup results with friends, earn badges based on the type and quantity of trash collected, keep a historical record of your cleanup efforts, contribute to ocean trash solutions by providing data to a global database, and much more. Volusia County is able to see the data specific to the cleanups in our county. Using this app is a great way to contribute to citizen science and make the beach cleaner for wildlife.
Fill a Bag stations
The Fill A Bag station, founded in Key Biscayne, provides upcycled buckets for beachgoers to collect trash and debris during their visit. The Volusia County Coastal division works with local groups and organizations to sponsor a station along the coast.
Jetty Ambassador
Volusia County Environmental Management’s Volunteer Volusia Program offers opportunities for volunteers to become jetty ambassadors. Ambassadors serve in a support function alongside divers, spotters, and captains, including Volusia County staff, UCF students, Hubbs Sea World Research Institute Volunteers, Alshouse & Associates employees, and the US Coast Guard during underwater cleanup events along the north jetty in Ponce Inlet. During the events, ambassadors position themselves on the jetty to answer general questions from visitors and anglers about the activities taking place, offer tips on best fishing practices that reduce lines left behind and remove any trash and monofilament line from the jetty itself. After the dive, performed by Volusia County staff, ambassadors and crew meet to weigh the debris and remove recyclable items.
For more information on the Jetty Ambassador Program or for questions, contact Christie Miller at clmiller@volusia.org.
Keep Volusia Beautiful
Keep Volusia County Beautiful became an official affiliate of the national organization, Keep America Beautiful Inc. and the state organization, Keep Florida Beautiful in 1998. Keep America Beautiful is a nonprofit, public education organization dedicated to improving waste handling practices in communities. The educational approach results in behavioral changes that reduce litter and increase waste prevention and recycling by residents and businesses.
Mermaid's lost treasure boxes
In an effort to reduce waste and repurpose beach toys that might otherwise be thrown away, the Coastal division is erecting "Mermaid's Lost Treasure" boxes along the coast. Beachgoers who do not wish to bring beach toys home with them, or those who find a misplaced toy in the sand, to place them in the box for others to enjoy. Mermaids Lost Treasure boxes can be found at Sun Splash Park in Daytona Beach, Toronita Avenue Beach Park in Wilbur-by-the-Sea, Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach, and Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park in New Smyrna Beach. Additional boxes are planned for installation in the spring of 2022. Boxes are removed during the off season due to the possibility of losing the structure to storm events.
Monofilament recycling program
Volusia County Environmental Management implements a successful fishing line recovery program that focuses on removing used monofilament fishing line from the environment. Improperly discarded fishing line accounts for many tragic entanglements of manatees, birds, turtles, dolphins, and other wildlife who often suffer from starvation, loss of limbs, and eventual death from infection, or ingestion of the line. Fishing line discarded in our waterways also fouls boat propellers and is a serious litter problem, especially around boat ramps and fishing areas. Even when the line is disposed of in trash bins, it still goes to landfills which creates the same hazards for wildlife. One solution to the problem is to have recycling containers available to boaters and fishers to safely discard their used line. The fishing line is then recovered, recycled, and repurposed creating new items such as park benches, fish habitats, and tackle boxes. Volusia County Manatee Protection Specialists have installed monofilament recovery containers at over 100 locations throughout the county. We are looking for individuals and groups who feel a connection to the environment to adopt a container and monitor it on a regular basis.
For more information on the monofilament recycling program or If you see a monofilament recycling container that needs servicing, contact Chad Murch at cmurch@volusia.org. or call 386-736-5927 ext.12839.
Waterway cleanups
Volusia County hosts or participates in two annual cleanup events, the St. Johns River Clean Up and the International Coastal Cleanup. The St. John's River Clean Up, coordinated by Volusia County’s Environmental Management Division, takes place in the spring and draws attention to the river’s environmental importance and helps to keep the waterway safe and clean for animals and people who enjoy swimming and water sports. The International Coastal Cleanup, organized b y the Ocean Conservancy, takes place each fall and is part of a global movement to keep beaches, waterways and the ocean trash free.
Storm drain curb marking
Stormwater that drains into the watershed is a pollution source that is sometimes overlooked. Storm drain marking is a proven method of increasing community awareness about non-point source pollution. The four-inch circle markers have a picture of either a manatee or a dolphin and read "No Dumping, Drains to Waterways! No Contamine!" These durable markers are easy to see and also aesthetically pleasing. They are glued to the tops of storm drains and on the curbs where stormwater is a common problem. Volusia County Environmental Management has mapped out the county and determined the ideal high stormwater flow neighborhoods that could benefit from the curb marking. Now that the pilot locations have been completed, more markers will be purchased and more areas covered. This stormwater project aims to dispel the idea that all stormwater gets treated before it enters the watershed. Usually, only wastewater from inside buildings is sent to a Waste Water Treatment Facility, so it is essential to inform the public not to dump anything into storm drains.
For more information on Storm Drain marking or for questions contact Christie Miller at clmiller@volusia.org.
Waste, hazardous material disposal and education efforts
Derelict vessel removal program
Derelict vessels can be found in many of the waterways of Florida. These abandoned vessels degrade and break apart over time, releasing different pollutants in the waters and soil. This is a problem for the use of the waterways for fishing, boating, skiing, and many other activities. This is also detrimental to the fish and other aquatic organisms and plants. The County of Volusia has partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to help remove some of these vessels. Visit https://myfwc.com/boating/waterway/derelict-vessels/ for more information.
Household Hazardous Waste events
Hazardous waste is defined as liquid, solid, contained gas, or sludge wastes that contain dangerous or potentially harmful properties to human health or the environment. The Solid Waste and Recycling Division offers more convenient locations for household hazardous waste disposal during Hazardous Waste collection events, usually offered in November and April each year. Several "off-landfill" sites are provided throughout the county for residents who don't live close to the permanent collection center at the Tomoka Landfill and the West Volusia Transfer Station.
Illegal dumping
Illegal dumping is the intentional dumping of solid waste on public or private property without the knowledge or consent of the property owner. It includes littering along road rights-of-way. Illegal dumpsites can be found throughout Volusia County. Cleaning up these sites costs the county and its residents more than $100,000 annually. Three compliance officers from the Solid Waste Division police the 1,200 square miles of Volusia County to try to catch illegal dumpers. Illegally dumping large amounts of debris or hazardous waste materials is a felony, and those convicted face stiff penalties. Submit a request to investigate illegal dumping.
Solid waste educational programs
Volusia County's Solid Waste Division offers a variety of information on recycling, household hazardous waste and waste reduction. Please call 386-943-7889 to schedule a free tour of the Tomoka Landfill or West Volusia Transfer Station or to arrange for a presentation to your school or civic group. Free booklets and pamphlets are available, including information on Recycling Drop-Off Sites, Recycling Buy-back Centers, and the Dual-sort Recycling System. Educational videos are also available online, offering important information regarding trash, best trash and recycling practices, hazardous waste, landfill operations, and much more.
Tire Amnesty Day events
Volusia County Mosquito Control hosts several Tire Amnesty Day events each year to reduce mosquito populations include eliminating containers where mosquitoes lay eggs, with old tires being a common culprit. Residential tires are accepted, and there is a limit of 20 tires per person. There is no cost to drop off tires.
Click here to follow Volusia County Mosquito Control on Facebook for event notifications.
To Report Litter: Contact Us Online