Plogging the Keys

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Updated October 17, 2023
Next Update: As needed

The tidying tasks are carried out by the local volunteer group 

Plogging the Keys.

Monthly Snapshot comparison

The table illustrates the quantities of various items collected in a month, juxtaposed with the corresponding month of the preceding year.
Description October of 2022 October of 2023
Volunteers 56 192
Gallon of Cigarette Butts 4.25 9.75
Pounds of Trash 343 1014
Pounds of Recycling 25.2 83

Yearly Snapshot comparison

The table illustrates the quantities of various items collected in a year, juxtaposed with the preceding year.
Description 2022 2023 to Date
Volunteers 800 1371
Gallon of Cigarette Butts 77.7 145.7
Pounds of Trash 4670.8 6946
Pounds of Recycling 485.5 896.5

Volunteer

Help us Keep Key West Beautiful (KKWB) by Volunteering! KKWB is a local affiliate of Keep Florida Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful.  Our goal is to keep our City beautiful and beautify it even more, if possible! KKWB sponsors local cleanups and beautification projects. Some of our programs you can participate in include the Adoption Program, Cigarette Recycling Brigade, Coastal Cleanups, and the Great American Cleanup.

Adoption Program

The Adoption Program allows private citizens, businesses, and civic groups to support the city-wide anti-litter campaign by selecting an area to maintain and beautify.  Locations for adoptions include beaches, roads, neighborhoods, and canals.

Adopted areas are maintained as part of a joint effort to keep our environment clean and healthy, and participation in the program is free!

Contact

Contact us if you were part of the Key West Clean and Green Program, and we will switch you to the new program.  For more information or to get involved, call 305-809-3782.

Adopt-A-Spot Program Information

The Pledge

Volunteers enter into a one-year agreement with The City of Key West, during which they agree to conduct litter removal at least six times a year.  Various organizations adopt many miles of beaches statewide, allowing civic-minded people to make a difference in their communities.  Volunteering helps protect our environment and the way of life in Key West.  City Beaches are cleaned daily by large equipment, and at times, litter and microplastics are so small that the large equipment does not gather them.

Volunteer Agreements

    Volunteers agree to the following:

  • Adopt a spot section in Key West
  • Dedicate one year to the program
  • Follow specified safety regulations
  • Remove litter at least six times each year
  • Report collected garbage during cleanup (number of garbage bags) to the City Staff or designated person.
  • Turn in a sign-in sheet with the volunteer name for each cleanup.


KKWB Agreements

KKWB Agrees to:

  • Assist with safety meetings
  • Pick up litter at specified locations
  • Post-Adopt-A-Beach Program sign commending the group
  • Provide litter bags and pickers if needed

Current Adopt-A-Spot Partners

  • Cuties In Action (CIA)
  • Fresh Produce
  • Key West Sea Turtle Club

Cigarette Waste Recycling

We are collecting cigarette waste for recycling: butts, ashes, the plastic wrapper, and everything but the box (that goes into your regular recycle bin).  You would collect the waste in the easiest method for you.  When you have a minimum of 5 pounds worth of waste gathered, call us at 305-809-3782 to make arrangements for disposal.  

To know more about cigarette waste recycling, visit companies that are making a difference in this field:

The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, created by Keep America Beautiful® in 2002, is the largest organization in the U.S. working towards eliminating cigarette litter.