Mission: Beaches Go Green, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, aims to create awareness and education around the waste that we produce and how it impacts our planet. With a focus on single-use plastics and our oceans, we are encouraging people to take small steps to decrease their plastic consumption and overall waste. We believe that through awareness and education, people will make small changes in their lives that will add up to BIG changes for the planet.

Results: We have been a part of many community events to influence their waste footprint including the Donna Marathon in 2019, Deck the Chairs in 2018,2019 and again in 2020.We have successfully launched multiple high school and middle school BGG environmental education clubs impacting thousands of students!We have partnered with Keep America Beautiful in order to install over 150 cigarette butt collection canisters installed in Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach & St Augustine Beach, FL. Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet and contain plastic (celluose acetate) which can take up to 5 yrs to break up into microplastics. Our single-use plastic art installation at Deck the Chairs is really something to see and so much to learn. We impacted over 65K visitors in 2019 and an estimated 50K visitors in 2018.Our single-use plastic art used 15,318 Bottles on the octopus arms, 707 Plastic bags in the jellyfish tentacles, 4,008 in the Eel Toothbrush Garden & 2,504 Bottles in the fabric covering the head of the octopus. In addition, we have tons of educational signage to accompany the display!In 2019 alone, donated 8,592 volunteer hrs at a value of $218,494.56 AND 7,697 lbs of waste/trash collected at a trash abatement value of $9,313.37.We presented to over 2500 students and adults and educated over 65K people through our Octopus Garden, single-use plastic art exhibit, at Deck the Chairs. In 2020, we have implemented a very successful reusable sports bottle program at multiple schools and community youth sports programs in an effort to reduce (and eventually eliminate) single-use plastic waste in sports!

Target demographics: create awareness and education around the waste that we produce and how it impacts our planet!

Direct beneficiaries per year: donated 8,592 volunteer hrs at a value of $218,494.56 AND 7,697 lbs of waste/trash collected at a trash abatement value of $9,313.37.We presented to over 2500 students and adults and educated over 65K people through our Octopus Garden, single-use plastic art exhibit, at Deck the Chairs.

Geographic areas served: The Jacksonville Florida area particularly at the beaches!

Programs: free community talks & environmental education school clubs & youth education, partner with other environmental nonprofits, partner with local businesses and events to create less waste!