The Isle of Palms Cleanup Crew will launch its 2026 spring litter sweep series at Front Beach on March 9, partnering with the South Carolina Aquarium’s conservation team.
Each spring litter sweep includes an optional welcome session geared toward students, groups, employee volunteer teams, families and newcomers. The series will continue every other Monday evening on March 23, April 6 and 20, and May 4 and 18.
The welcome session runs from 5:30 to 6 p.m., with the litter sweep continuing through 7 p.m. Volunteers check in at the beach access in the 1100 block of Ocean Boulevard, near the city restroom building featuring the IOP postcard mural and Coconut Joe’s.
The Cleanup Crew will celebrate Earth Month during the April 20 sweep. The 2026 Earth Day theme, observed internationally on April 22, is “Our Power, Our Planet,” emphasizing the role individuals and communities play in driving progress through local action, civic participation and sustainable practices.
As temperatures rise and visitor traffic increases, the Cleanup Crew will shift to its summer schedule, hosting weekly litter sweeps every Monday from 6 to 7 p.m., June 1 through Labor Day.
In place of the former Wednesday Breakfast Club cleanups, the group will introduce a new series of five Thursday evening sweeps in July, from 6 to 7 p.m., when beach and parking areas tend to be busiest. The July dates are July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30.
The Isle of Palms Cleanup Crew relies on volunteers to help keep the coast clean, protect natural ecosystems and public health, document litter data, and address pollution. Approximately 75% of items collected and documented in the Litter Journal are plastic or contain plastic components, including cigarette filters.
Since 2018, thousands of volunteers have collected more than 263,000 litter items, documenting the data in the South Carolina Aquarium’s Litter Journal, which is available for public use. The City of Isle of Palms and local businesses support the Cleanup Crew’s volunteer efforts.
2026 Dates and Details:
- Every other Monday in spring: March 9 and 23; April 6 and 20; May 4 and 18.
- Welcome session: 5:30 to 6 p.m.; litter sweep continues through 7 p.m.
- No registration required.
- Meet at the 1100 block of Ocean Boulevard beach access near the city restroom building and Coconut Joe’s.
- Supplies provided.
- Volunteers who clean for at least 30 minutes receive a magnet for free parking in city lots during future sweeps and a discount at a participating Isle of Palms restaurant.
- A special post–Memorial Day sweep will be held Tuesday, May 26, from 6 to 7 p.m.
- Weekly Monday sweeps resume June 1 through Labor Day, 6 to 7 p.m.
- Everyone is welcome, and students may earn volunteer hours.
- For questions or to arrange participation for a group larger than 15, contact co-founder Susan Hill Smith at susanhillsmith@gmail.com.
- Follow the Isle of Palms Cleanup Crew for updates, including weather-related changes, at www.facebook.com/IOPCleanup.
