JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Dozens of volunteers in two locations spent the morning cleaning up big messes left after Fourth of July celebrations on the beaches.
Typical trash and debris found are used fireworks and cigarette butts, but over the years, groups holding big cleanup events have found everything from clothes and shoes to toys. Volunteer David Halsey said he found a credit card this year.
The city of Jacksonville and groups like Keep Jacksonville Beautiful and Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol work together to clean up the beaches after the Fourth of July holiday every year. JEA also hosted cleanup efforts at Oceanfront North near the old lifeguard station and Mickler’s Landing on Friday.
“It’s kind of sad the amount of little paper and stuff left behind and the trash people just leave,” one volunteer said. “It’s nice to see the big crowd down here cleaning up.”
Volunteer Mark Pecci called it “disgusting.”
“It is unbelievable that people would just leave this. I can understand the fireworks, but the hat, the shoes, the alcoholic beverages that are left here. This is just disgusting,” Pecci said.
Last year, more than 200 volunteers showed up and collected more than 4,500 pounds of trash on the beaches.
According to a JEA spokesperson, their volunteers collected 45-50 bags of trash in Jacksonville Beach and another 22 bags of trash at Mickler’s Landing -- totaling between 900-1,000 pounds.
The volunteers also kept an eye out for any deep holes left by beachgoers because sea turtles can fall into them in addition to eating trash that can make them sick.
“Many of the turtles that are brought in sick, they have to go in and they find plastic and trash, balloons, string,” said Pamela Bruno with Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol. “If somebody leaves a chair out, it becomes an obstacle. If it has any kind of fiber or chords, the animals get caught up in them.”