Battered by hurricanes and heavy tourism, Lee County’s beaches are fighting a quiet battle: an overwhelming tide of trash.
From mangroves to the sandy shores, volunteers have hauled away tens of thousands of pounds of debris this past year, a stubborn reminder that paradise needs constant protection.
In the past year alone, cleanup crews and volunteers in Lee County have collected more than 50,000 pounds of trash from beaches, waterways, and mangroves. Powerful storms and careless visitors dumped much of the stuff on the coastline.
Organized events like the International Costal Cleanup and Monofilament Madness have mobilized hundreds of residents, divers, and boaters determined to protect Southwest Florida’s fragile costal ecosystems. Participants often spend hours combing the shorelines and wading into waterways, pulling out everything from small plastic items to storm-tossed wreckage.
Despite the success of these events, officials and environmental groups warn that without stronger preventative measures and public awareness, the problem will continue to escalate.
Much of the trash collected is linked to severe weather events like Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Milton, both of which left debris across Southwest Florida. Destroyed structures, scattered personal belongings, and destroyed boats contributed to the surge in debris
But environmental officials stress that people and their actions also play a significant role. Littering, improper disposal of waste, and marine debris from recreational boating activities are major contributors to the persistent trash problem, particularly during the busy spring and summer tourist seasons, when beach populations surge.
Even seemingly minor litter can accumulate quickly, endangering wildlife and degrading water quality.
Maintaining clean beaches is a part of a broader strategy that includes monitoring water quality, tracking algal blooms, and preventing harmful runoff into marine environments.
“These topics are closely interconnected and involve extensive collaboration between state agencies and local municipalities, including cities and counties,” Lee County Department of Health’s Noelia Martinez Irizarry said.
One of the organizations leading the charge against marine pollution is the Love Blue club at Florida Gulf Coast University. It’s a student group committed to preserving local beaches and ecosystems through hands-on action and education.
As a chapter of the national nonprofit Love Blue Inc., the FGCU club empowers students to fight ocean pollution by organizing beach cleanups, promoting sustainability, and raising public awareness about the dangers of marine debris.
“From January til now, we’ve organized 10 beach cleanups, and we have collected 1,997 pounds of trash, and that’s just Lee County alone,” Michaela Zimmerman, president of Love Blue, said.
Love Blue’s volunteers encounter a wide range of debris depending on the beaches location and popularity. Popular tourist spots like Fort Myers Beach and Vanderbilt are littered with food wrappers, bottles and beach gear. More remote areas like Bowditch yield larger and more unexpected finds like broken furniture and pieces of boats.
“FGCU is all about the environment and preserving what we have here in Southwest Florida, so we work hand in hand with that concept,” Zimmerman said. “We’re out there every week, if not biweekly, giving back to the community and the environment.”
In 2023, Love Blue partnered with FGCU’s men’s soccer team to clean Little Hickory Beach. Volunteers removed more than 86 pounds of debris. Another major event that year resulted in over 1,000 pounds of trash being cleared from mangroves following Hurricane Ian, including large items like toilets and shattered staircases.
Beyond volunteer-driven initiatives, local governments also have ramped up debris removal post-hurricane. Following Hurricane Milton alone, more than 211,000 cubic yards of vegetative and construction debris were collected countywide. This effort helped to quickly restore beach access and protect coastal habitats. But marine debris remains a stubborn issue, often slipping through the cracks of formal cleanup operations.
The environmental impact of marine debris cannot be overstated. Discarded plastics and fishing lines pose serious threats to sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, and a wide array of seabirds. All of them are at risk of ingesting or becoming entangled in waste. Ingested plastics can cause internal injuries or death, while entanglement can lead to drowning or serious physical harm.
Efforts to address the issue are multifaceted, including public education campaigns, expanded beach cleanup initiatives, stricter littering regulations, and environmental monitoring programs. Agencies like the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Health play key roles in tracking water quality and aquatic toxins, ensuring that the public remains informed and protected.
With hurricane season starting in a month, volunteers say the fight to keep Lee County’s beaches clean is far from over. Organizations encourage year-round residents to get out there, in hopes that continued community involvement and a growing sense of environmental responsibility will help turn the tide on trash.
“Picking up that one wrapper you see on the sand really makes a difference, whether you think it or not,” Zimmerman said.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.