Isle of Palms Cleanup Crew litter sweeps continue twice a week through Labor Day. Volunteer turnout sometimes dips in August, and we get that. High temps. End-of-summer vacations. Local schools welcoming back students.
But we still have a lot of beach-goers and a lot of litter. So please help whenever you can sync up with our summer schedule: Mondays 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Breakfast Club Wednesdays 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.
We previously told volunteers to leave abandoned boogie boards – also known as body boards – by the yellow beach trash cans, similar to our guidance on left-behind chairs. But boogie boards can break and quickly degrade into many pieces of litter, especially if they are made with polystyrene. Now we want you to bring abandoned boards back to our sign-in spot, off the beach, for more secure disposal with the rest of your litter.
You can also help us with awareness: Boards shouldn’t be left behind on the beach. Period. If you like to ride the waves, try to buy or rent a board that is built to last, preferably without polystyrene. And if yours breaks, dispose of it properly back at home.
Special thanks to the football teams at Palmetto Christian Academy and Oceanside Collegiate Academy for engaging with Isle of Palms Cleanup Crew this summer. We love seeing athletic teams join our regularly scheduled sweeps. And with larger groups of 20 or more, we may be able to schedule a special litter sweep that works with your practice schedule.
Email co founder Susan Hill Smith at susanhillsmith@gmail.com with questions.