Beachgoers left more than 6,000kg of trash on the sands of a Florida beach after it reopened as lockdown measures were eased.
When Cocoa Beach reopened last weekend, people flocked to the warm sand but the rubbish came with them.
While some did what was right and disposed of their trash in garbage cans, others just threw their used items on the sand, the Keep Brevard Beautiful reported.
According to the non-profit, it has seen an influx of rubbish since the beaches reopened.
Keep Brevard Beautiful executive director Bryan Bobbitt told CNN: “People will come from out of town and leave an umbrella, a tent or chairs because it’s a onetime use. Chip bags, plastic straw wrappers and anything can get blown into the dunes.”
Bobbit said that teams collected almost 12,000 pounds of trash and estimate the weight was higher as beach chairs, tent poles, and other heavy items were still left on beaches.
“When we see something that can be a choking hazard to marine life, we make it a point to get that stuff as well,” Bobbitt added. “If we don’t pick it up, it gets blown into the water. We’ve all seen the photo of the straw stuck in a sea turtle’s nose or a 6-pack ring around a bird’s neck.”
Cocoa Beach Police have warned the public that if they are seen leaving trash, they could be hit with a hefty fine.
“As restrictions are becoming more relaxed during this pandemic, the City of Cocoa Beach is beginning to see an influx of day-trippers to our beaches, along with piles of unlawfully discarded trash in their wake,” the force said in a statement. “This will not be tolerated.”
Chief Scott Rosenfeld also said: “Our community works very hard to be stewards of environmental sustainability.
“If I need to reallocate critical resources during our peak season to combat litterers, we are no longer asking our visitors to comply with our litter laws, we expect it, and there will be consequences for offenders.”
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