Boaters are leaving tons of trash on Biscayne Bay Islands around Miami Dade County, and the waste management strategies are not working.

1. Ineffective Waste Management Strategies
on Biscayne Bay Islands
Dave Doebler
Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
954-415-7434

2. Dave Doebler
Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
954-415-7434
Agenda:
• - Introductions and responsibilities
• - What we discovered
• - Potential Solutions
• - Next Steps

3. • Free community resource, connecting volunteers to local cleanups
• User generated content of cleanups in the community, led our network of community
partners
• Any host can post a cleanup and reach our database of 4,000+ local volunteers
• Any volunteer can search by zip code to find cleanups
• Multiple cleanup events and volunteer opportunities every weekend – many in City of
Miami
• VolunteerCleanup.org is the Ocean Conservancy’s local partner, coordinating Miami-
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org
Volunteers cleaning their neighborhoods, shorelines, and waterways

4. • This is Sophie Ringle from a
group called Clean Miami
Beach. She hosted a cleanup
on 23rd and Biscayne on
March 17, 2021.

6. 3/6/2021 3/7/2021
Same Location

7. Pace Picnic Island

8. Cleanup Pace Picnic Island
2,400 feet = .5 miles

9. • This is Maria Jose (MJ) Algarra of
Clean This Beach Up. MJ held an
unrelated cleanup on Pace Picnic
Island the March 15.

12. Pace Picnic Island
Sunday, March 14, 4pm (Day before MJ’s Cleanup)
It’s a busy day

13. Pace Picnic Island Sunday, March 14, 4pm 21 Garbage Cans on the island, 15 full or overflowing

14. Visitors are trying to do the right thing, but the cans are full

15. • 50% of the waste is recyclables
• 75% of the recyclables are aluminum
• 32 aluminum cans = 1 pound @ $.50 per pound

16. People are using unsecured trash cans as tables

17. This can is along the Water line. They should be set back 5+ feet from the high tide line.

18. MJ found lots and lots
of plastic forks.

20. Mr. Munchies Food Boat
@Mr.MunchiesOnTheWater
FOOD
- Ceviche requires forks
- Fries comes with ketchup
in plastic containers
DRINKS
- Plastic water bottles
- Glass bottles of Jugo de
Mango

21. Glass
Plastic for Sauces
Good job on the
biodegradable box

22. Albert Pallot Park
36th Street and US1 / Julia Tuttle Causeway
Was this Island Trash?
Biscayne Isle
Albert Pallot Park
Photo taken July 26, 2017

23. Marine Stadium
People are trying to put the trash in the right place
Photo taken April 28, 2021

24. Baywood Park
69th Street
Cans without lids allow plastic to blow out
Average wind speed is 8-14 mph
Photo taken April 27, 2021

25. Stake in the ground
Lid that closes
Locked so you can’t
move the can
Key Biscayne (Hobie Beach)
Good Design (Miami Dade County)

26. OPTION 1 – No Waste Facilities provided
- “Pack it out” + “Anti-Littering” + “Marine Debris” campaign
OPTION 2 – Effective Waste Management + Recycling Cans
- “Pack it out” + “Anti-Littering” + “Marine Debris” campaign (decorated cans and signage)
- Pole-mounted cans with lids and securing straps – (Centralized or Decentralized)
- Aluminum Can recycling stations (with can crusher to increase volume) – (Centralized or Decentralized) -
fundraising?
- Increased trash collection frequency (empty on Saturdays) + monthly ‘Deep Clean’
In addition:
- Improve expectations, frequency and inspections of waste cleanup team / contractor
- Reach out to Food Boats and discuss:
1) Zero plastic, 2) Zero glass, 3) Squirt sauce directly into box 4) Bring garbage can for their waste
- Utilize public boat ramps for education and collection from “Pack-it-out”
- Boater garbage bag giveaways (See DEP boater bag as example. Partner with food boat?)
- Adopt-an-Island – Quarterly cleanups or Funding to pay for cleaning contractor / Volunteer ‘Deep Cleans’
SOLUTIONS / DESIGN IDEAS

27. Crushed cans are 4 times smaller

28. We must develop effective waste management
strategies on islands around Miami.
Thoughts?
Next Steps?
Dave Doebler
Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
954-415-7434