International Coastal Cleanup & Brand Audit
Auditing Plastic Pollution, One Beach at a Time
Each year, Big Blue & You joins the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, a global movement that has brought together millions of volunteers over the past 35 years to remove litter from coastlines and waterways. In Miami, we take it a step further, pairing each beach cleanup with a brand audit, where volunteers not only pick up trash but also record data on the types and sources of plastic pollution. These insights contribute to the Break Free From Plastic global report, holding major polluters accountable.
Why does it matter? In past audits, brands like Coca-Cola were identified as top contributors to global plastic waste - highlighting the urgent need for corporate responsibility and stronger environmental policy. Big Blue & You empowers young people and community members to take action, not just with cleanups, but through creative advocacy.
Our Impact from 2024
This year, 156 incredible volunteers joined forces with Big Blue & You to clean up our coastlines—and the results were powerful. Together, we removed a whopping 2,068.5 pounds of trash, including two abandoned skiffs, from our local beaches.
Our brand audit revealed the top polluters to be Dasani, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, and Sprite—once again highlighting the need for corporate accountability in plastic waste. Volunteers carefully logged 530 bottle caps, 450 plastic bags, 390 plastic bottles, 187 chip bags, and 140 aluminum cans, adding valuable data to the global movement to Break Free From Plastic.
Huge thanks to our partners: Sereia Films, Miami Waterkeeper, Coastal Waste and Recycling, Miami Yacht Club, Ocean Conservancy, Debris Free Oceans, and Volunteer Clean Up with special shout outs to Geared 4 Green, Blue Scholars Initiative, Gray Whale Gin, and LA Tropical Beer.
Holding Polluters Accountable Through Creative Activism
Big Blue & You empowers young people and community members to take action, not just with cleanups, but through creative advocacy. We invite participants to decorate and send handwritten postcards to Florida legislators in support of the Break Free From Plastic Act, encouraging change at the policy level. Want to join in? Download your postcard, decorate it, and then mail it to your representative.
