Beyond the Beach: Why Inland Litter Matters
A plastic bottle tossed along a road miles from the coast may seem far removed from the St. Lucie River or Atlantic Ocean. But after just one heavy rain, that bottle can travel through a ditch, storm drain or canal and eventually become waterway litter.
That’s why protecting our coast starts long before we reach the beach. 
Trash left along roads, sidewalks, parking lots and neighborhood streets rarely stays where it was dropped. Wind and rain can carry bottles, food wrappers, cigarette butts and other debris into drainage systems that connect to the St. Lucie River, Indian River Lagoon and, ultimately, the Atlantic Ocean.
Keep Martin Beautiful’s Adopt-a-Road program helps interrupt that journey. Local businesses, civic organizations, families and community groups regularly clean designated roadways throughout Martin County. Last year, participating groups completed 55 cleanups, cared for 110 miles of roadway and removed approximately 4,000 pounds of litter.
We’re grateful to every volunteer and Adopt-a-Road group that continues to roll up its sleeves and care for our community. Their work makes our roads more beautiful while helping protect wildlife and water quality.
Through our “A Cleaner Martin County Starts With YOU” campaign, we’re reminding residents that every action counts. We’re also giving away travel litter cleanup kits so you can pick up litter one piece at a time wherever your adventures take you.
Kits include a mini pickup stick, reuseable vehicle litter bag, and other Keep Martin Beautiful goodies. To claim your free travel litter kit (while supplies last), email info@keepmartinbeautiful.org. To learn more about Keep Martin Beautiful visit, keepmartinbeautiful.org.
The next piece of trash you remove could be one less piece that reaches our river, lagoon or ocean. Cleaner waterways start inland, and they start with each of us.
And don’t forget our annual International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 19, when Keep Martin Beautiful brings together volunteers from across the community to remove litter from the coastal places we all know and love.
If you haven’t already picked your spot for the coastal cleanup, contact us today at info@keepmartinbeautiful.org.
