Small Pieces, Big Impact: International Coastal Cleanup Removes Approximately 33,000 Pieces of Litter Across Martin County

STUART, Fla. – More than 1,000 volunteers took action across Martin County on Saturday, Sept. 19, for the 2026 International Coastal Cleanup, removing litter and debris from 28 beaches, parks, shorelines and waterways.

For more than three decades, Keep Martin Beautiful has served as Martin County’s local coordinator of the worldwide cleanup initiative. This year, every designated cleanup location was covered, bringing together individuals, families, businesses, schools and community organizations for one countywide effort.

One trend stood out in this year’s cleanup: the litter is getting smaller in size.

Volunteers are finding fewer large items and more tiny pieces of plastic and fragmented debris that can be easier to overlook but still pose a threat to wildlife and the environment. This year, volunteers collected more than 7,000 small pieces of plastic and foam, along with 5,266 plastic bottle caps, 6,910 cigarette butts and 742 plastic utensils. In total, 1,116 volunteers removed 32,984 pieces of litter weighing more than 4,000 pounds.

“The data our volunteers collect goes far beyond Martin County,” said Keep Martin Beautiful Executive Director Tiffany Kincaid. “It contributes to a global effort to track pollution trends, identify the types of litter entering our environment and better understand where we can make the greatest difference.”

Keep Martin Beautiful also found a way to reduce waste while collecting it. Through a partnership with Ocean Republic Brewing, used bags that once held barley were given a second life as litter collection bags instead of being discarded.

While the International Coastal Cleanup takes place once a year, keeping Martin County clean is a year-round effort. Individuals, families, businesses and community groups can organize a cleanup anytime by choosing a location and reaching out to Keep Martin Beautiful for supplies.

Keep Martin Beautiful thanks the volunteers, group coordinators, community partners and sponsors who helped make the 2026 International Coastal Cleanup possible, including Martin County, Florida Inland Navigation District, WM, Ashley Capital, Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa, Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation, CSA Ocean Sciences, Indian Riverkeeper, Lucido & Associates, City of Stuart, Coastal Waste & Recycling, Ecological Associates, Four Fish Marina, The Guardians of Martin County, Jacqueline Palmeri – RE/MAX of Stuart, Jenkins Landscape, Live With Grace, Ram Real Estate, Solar Electric Power Company, Sunset Bay Marina, Tetra Tech and the Firefly Group.

For more information about Keep Martin Beautiful and opportunities to participate in future cleanups, visit KeepMartinBeautiful.org, call 772-781-1222 or email info@keepmartinbeautiful.org.

About Keep Martin Beautiful

Keep Martin Beautiful (KMB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization founded in 1994 as an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. Its mission is to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Martin County through litter prevention, the promotion of recycling, improvement of solid waste management practices, and beautification and community revitalization activities. KMB signature events and programs include the Environmental Stewardship Awards, the International Coastal Cleanup, the Great American Cleanup, the Adopt-A-Road and Adopt-A-Street programs, as well as other educational and outreach activities. Find KMB on Facebook at facebook.com/KeepMartinBeautiful, visit KeepMartinBeautiful.org or call 772-781-1222.