Clean Beaches Campaign

A County-wide Anti-litter Campaign

Summary

This campaign is the first component of a three (3) year long, county-wide, anti-litter environmental education and awareness project which aims to reduce the amount of litter on County beaches, waterways and Biscayne Bay. It is a comprehensive project which utilizes major media outlets – TV, newspapers, aerial banners, educational brochures – and consists of eight main components: flying aerial banners with anti-litter messages, in English and Spanish, along County beaches and Biscayne Bay shorelines and between Key Biscayne and Golden Beach; scientific beach litter sampling; beach users’ behavior modification survey; distribution of biodegradable litter bags to beach users; production of four anti-litter TV PSAs; placement of anti-litter and recycling awareness ads on local newspapers; production of multi-language anti-litter brochures to be distributed to local schools and hotels; and the initial installation of six (6) biodegradable litter bag dispensing units in South Beach. Its main objective is to raise the awareness of County residents and visitors to the impact of litter on our coastal/aquatic habitats and to reduce the amount of litter (cigarette butts, glass/plastic bottles, plastic bags, aluminum cans, plastic straws, paper flyers, among others) on our shoreline, Biscayne Bay, waterways.

Some of South Florida’s tourist-based economy greatest concerns are the pollution of our beaches’ diverse habitats, contamination of aquatic life and the contamination of surrounding aquatic ecosystems. This program addresses these issues by providing a cost-effective, easy to carry out and straightforward educational method that reaches a large number of its target population and at the location of concern. It also complements Miami-Dade County’s Department of Solid Waste Management “DON’T TRASH IT! CAN IT!” litter prevention program, reaching not only local residents but the hard-to-reach tourist as well.

Project Need

The 825 miles of sandy coastline fronting the Atlantic Ocean is one of the Florida’s most valuable natural resources. Florida’s beaches’ are deserving of this status because they serve several important functions: they are vital in maintaining the health of Florida’s economy, and they play an essential role in the recycling of nutrients, to which the surrounding ecosystems are so dependent upon in order to support its rich biodiversity.

Florida beaches are an integral part of the state’s economy, generating approximately $15 billion a year to the state’s economy (State of the Coast Report, 1996). It attracts over 14 million people annually, mainly tourists, from all parts of the continental US, as well as from around the world. Miami Beach alone, according to results of a 1998 statistical study published by the City of Miami Beach, attracted 4,808,535 visitors to the beaches of South Beach during that year. This study, however, did not take in consideration the local residents and the regional day visitors from other parts of Miami-Dade County.

However, an unfortunate consequence comes along as more and more people visit or move to our coastal zones. While enjoying our beaches and local waters, they also leave behind their litter.  And, due to this fact, the amount of litter along Miami-Dade County’s beaches, waterways and Biscayne Bay is getting increasingly worse. In 1988, during the Florida Coastal Cleanup Day, a total of 194 tons of debris were collected from Florida’s coastal zones. In the year 2000, this amount increased to 532 tons (www.floridacoastalcleanup.org).

In addition to general aesthetics problem, which may consequently inflict serious economical loss to the local tourism industry, litter has become a serious threat to marine life, a transportation hazard, and can threaten human health and safety. When washed into our ocean waters (“marine debris”), it may sink to the seafloor or drift in the water column. Marine animals are not able to distinguish between inedible human-made debris, such as plastic bags, from natural food sources, and end up either ingesting them or getting entangled, which most of the time proves to be fatal.

Surveys have indicated that nearly 80 percent of marine debris originates from land-based activities and many strongly believe that this is a consequence of the lack of awareness on the part of beach users. This project provides an innovative and targeted educational method by continuously exposing our residents and tourists with direct anti-litter messages and high-impact graphics for an initial period of 10 months. It is hoped that users of our coastal zones will become more aware of the impact of their actions and change their behavior by taking more proactive and responsible actions in order to protect and preserve this sensitive environment we all live and work at.

Project Description

The proposed project is a long-term anti-litter educational campaign, which addresses the litter problems at County’s beaches, waterways and Biscayne Bay by targeting both residents and visitors of the Greater Miami-Dade County.

The main objective of the first phase of this campaign is to reduce the amount of litter on Miami-Dade County beaches by raising beach goers’ awareness regarding the impact of litter on our beaches and surrounding aquatic habitats. It is hoped, by continuously exposing them to positive anti-litter messages for a long period of time, that beach goers will become more conscious of the impact of their actions and consequently change their behavior regarding littering. Reducing litter on our coastal zones will prevent marine pollution and continuous damage to this important ecosystem.

Project Components and Methodology:

1. Aerial Banner Messages:
   A local aerial banner company will produce and fly the banners, which will be printed with anti-litter messages in Spanish and English and with anti-litter pictorial messages – “giant flying billboards” (see Attachment I). The banners will be flown along Miami-Dade County shoreline, between Key Biscayne and Golden Beach, both oceanic and East Biscayne Bay shores, and will be flown during weekends and holidays, sixteen times a day, for a period of approximately 10 months.

   
   

   
   

   Banner slogans will be created by students through a contest to be carried out at Miami-Dade County Schools by Officer Snook Water Pollution Program and Youth Environmental Programs. Winners of the selected top ten messages will be awarded certificates of appreciation from ECOMB and gift certificates from local businesses.

2. Scientific Beach Litter Sampling:
   In order to determine the amount and types of beach litter (such as cigarette butts, glass/plastic bottles, plastic bags, aluminum cans, plastic straws, flyers, amongst others) generated by residents, visitors and beach businesses, a total of 605 samples will be taken from five (5) 100 F² areas within each of the eleven (11) selected beaches, between Key Biscayne and Golden Beach, utilizing a 10 X 10 PVC grid system. Sampling will take place at dusk, once beach users have left the beach and before clean-up crews start working. First sampling will be carried out at the end of October 2007, before the first banners are flown, and from November through August 2008.

   
   

   
   

   The project’s litter sampling methodology has been designed by Oceanographer and Research Scientist, Mrs. Valentina Caccia. ECOMB’s Project Manager and the Environmental Resources Management Division of the City of Miami Beach will be responsible for project implementation, coordination and data interpretation. 30 ECOMB volunteers, the Beach Protectors Volunteer Corp, will conduct data collection. An e-mail campaign announcing the Campaign and volunteer recruitment will be sent to ECOMB’s database and ECOMB’s Board of Directors will select the 30 participants, based on pre-determined criteria.

3. Beach User Survey:
   Additionally, at least 30 beach users per beach section being sampled will be interviewed by using a Yes and No questionnaire in order to determine project effectiveness through behavior change. ECOMB’s Project Manager and the Environmental Resources Management Division of the City of Miami Beach will be responsible for project implementation, coordination, data interpretation as well as for the development of the Beach User Survey.

   
   

   
   

4. Biodegradable Trash Bags:
   A total of 5,000 Officer Snook biodegradable bags will be distributed to beach goers by the Beach Protectors while conducting the beach surveys and litter sampling.  Volunteers will take this opportunity to further educate beach users to dispose of their trash properly.

   
   

   
   

5. Butt Bag Systems Installation:
   Six litter bag dispensing units – the Butt Bag System (see Attachment II) – will be initially installed at six different Boucher Brothers’ (BB) beach concessions huts on the beach area adjacent to Lummus Park, Ocean Drive, and between 5^th and 15^th Streets. The biodegradable litter/cigarette butt bags, made of cornstarch, will be distributed, free-of-charge, by Boucher Brothers’ staff to their clients and general beach users. Each hut will contain a galvanized steel sign educating users about the program and on the impact of litter on aquatic life. Installation of other units on additional BB’s concession huts as well as on other Miami-Dade County beaches, parks and coastal hotels is planned as part of the second year campaign. This second phase will be funded through corporate sponsorships.

   
   

   
   

6. Anti-Litter TV PSAs
   Four 30 seconds anti-litter educational TV public service announcements (PSAs), targeting tourists and local residents, specially teenagers, will be produced (two in English and two in Spanish) and made available to local TV Networks and to Miami-Dade County Schools. The PSAs will be initially aired at the Beach Channel and Miami Dade TV, concurrently with other project components for a period of 10 months. It is hoped that other local TV channels become a project partners once PSAs are produced.

1. Anti-Litter and Recycling Awareness Ads on Printed Media
   A total of 36 anti-litter and recycling awareness campaign ads will be printed on two (2) local partner newspapers, the Miami Sunpost and Miami New Times, concurrently with other project components.

1. Anti-Litter Educational Brochures
   Initial production and printing of 15,000 multi-lingual (four languages) anti-litter brochures with the message Don’t Trash It! Can It!, Miami-Dade County Solid Waste Management division’s anti-litter campaign slogan, and Florida Sea Grant’s slogan, Don’t Splash Your Trash. Florida Sea Grant will participate in the brochure development and work closely with volunteers to raise awareness about the impacts caused by marine debris and encourage them to actively participate in the Clean Beaches Campaign. Efforts will be focused on marine debris prevention and removal through interaction and outreach with the community. Brochures will be distributed to local hotels, restaurants as well other local businesses.

Location

Miami-Dade County.

Target Population

This project targets Miami-Dade’s citizens and visitors of all ages and ethnicities, especially teenagers, by continuously exposing them, for an initial period of ten months, to anti-litter messages via a variety of media outlets stressing the impact of litter on our environment and aquatic life. In order to expand its effectiveness and outreach, the messages will be simple and positive, and developed both in English and Spanish (adding Creole is being considered for the project’s second phase).

According to results of a 1998 statistical study published by the City of Miami Beach, it was determined that during that year a total of 4,808,535 visitors used the beaches of Miami Beach alone. This study, however, did not take in consideration local residents and regional day visitors from other parts of the county. No detailed statistics were found, at this time, for other areas such as Key Biscayne, Surfside, Ball Harbor, Haulover Beach, Sunny Isle and Golden Beach beaches. However, we estimate that all project components combined will reach at least 2,000,000 local County beach goers and weekend/holiday visitors to coastal zones between Key Biscayne and Golden Beach.

Goals and Objectives

1. To reduce the amount of litter on Miami-Dade County coastal zones by educating and raising the awareness of beach users (Miami-Dade County residents and tourists).

Objectives:

• By the end of the project, the amount of litter gathered from the beach section described above will have reduced by at least 30%;
• By the end of year one, at least 30% of the beach users interviewed will have stated that they have become more aware of the environmental impact of beach litter and that their behavior regarding littering the beach has changed due to the Clean Beaches Campaign.

1. To strengthen existing partnerships and develop new ones with local government agencies and private businesses, such as beach area hotels, nightlife and restaurants associations.

Objectives:

• By the second month of the grant period, at least four new partnerships will have been developed between ECOMB and local businesses.

Timeline

Project will initiate on the first week of October 2007 and end on the last week of September 2008

December 2007 – January 08

• First meeting with all Project Partners
• Initiation of the Aerial Banner Message Contest.
• Development of Beach Users’ Behavior Questionnaire.
• Beach Protectors’ selection e-mail campaign.
• TV PSAs’ script development, selection of volunteer actors/actresses and production.
• Design and placement of first newspapers anti-litter and recycling awareness ads.
• Initiate design and production of educational brochures.
• Send press releases to local media.
• Collect baseline data from eleven (6) pre-selected beach locations between Key Biscayne and Golden Beach.
• Distribute biodegradable garbage bags to beach users on areas being sampled.
• Selection of Beach Protectors Volunteer Corp.
• Selection of banner messages by a committee to be selected from all partner organizations and Miami Beach Senior High students.
• Installation of the first six Butt Bag Systems at the Boucher Brother’s Beach Concession Huts.

February 2008

• Flight of first banners and Clean Beaches Campaign launching ceremony at a South Pointe location, Miami Beach, with the presence of County and local government officials, representatives of the organizations involved in the project, and community members.
• Carry out first set of monthly interviews of beach users – by Beach Protectors.
• Collect second set of data.
• Distribute TV PSAs to participating TV networks.

December 2007 – November 2008

• 1,856 banners will be flown during this period.
• Printing and distribution of Anti-Litter Brochures.
• Monthly litter data collection.
• Monthly beach user surveys will be conducted on each selected beach location.
• Monthly distribution of biodegradable garbage bags.
• Distribution of Anti-Litter Brochures.

December 2008

• Execution of final interview.
• Data compilation and interpretation, and impact evaluation.
• Report writing.

Partners

• § Officer Snook Water Pollution Program will conduct the banner slogan contest in Miami-County Junior and Senior High Schools.
• § The City of Miami Beach Environmental Resources Management Division will assist with litter sampling implementation, co-coordination and data interpretation, as well as with the development of the Beach User Survey.
• § VTM Productions will produce four (4) educational TV public service announcements (PSA), two in English and two in Spanish.
• § New Edge Media Inc will assist in the pre-production, production and post-production of the four TV PSAs.
• § ECOMB will be responsible for content research, translation, layout, design and printing of 15,000 anti-litter educational brochures to be distributed to schools and tourist related businesses.
• § The Beach Channel and Miami Dade TV will air the TV PSAs during the duration of the Aerial Banner project.
• § Sunpost Newspaper and the Miami New Times will print campaign ads, twice a month, for a period of 12 months.
• § Aerial Banner Company will fly the banners and will donate one additional flight hour for every flight hour purchased.
• § The Butt Bag Systems will provide six (6) litterbag-dispensing units and an initial supply of 1000 biodegradable litter and cigarette butt bags to be installed at 6 Boucher Brothers Concession Huts on Lummus Park Beach, Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.
• § Boucher Brothers will install the six (6) Butt Bag Systems mentioned above, and manage restocking of and distribution of litterbags to the general public and their clients as needed. Future and long-term supply of additional litterbags will be funded through corporate sponsorships under present and on-going negotiations.
• § Miami Beach Community Development Corporation will be the financial and grant reporting agent for the “Clean Beaches Campaign”.
• § Citizens for a Better South Florida will coordinate litter sampling and survey at Virginia Key Beach.
• § Miami Beach Senior High will coordinate litter sampling and survey at South Pointe, Lummus Park and Mid Beach beaches.
• § Biscayne Nature Center will coordinate litter sampling and survey at Crandon Park North Beach.
• § Teen Job Corps will coordinate litter sampling and survey at North Beach’s North Shore Open Space Park Beach.
• § Ocean One will coordinate and implement a Litter Prevention Art Calendar at Miami-Dade County Middle Schools.
• § Baynanza – as part of its ongoing anti-litter campaign, ECOMB coordinates the cleanup of Monument Island during this annual event.
• § Ocean Conservancy / International Coastal Cleanup Day – as part of its ongoing anti-litter campaign, ECOMB coordinates the cleanup of Monument Island during this annual event.

Estimated Clean Beaches Campaign Budget (2007)