PHILIPSBURG – Volunteers, students, community organisations and businesses came together across Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin for the 2026 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), removing waste from beaches, coastlines, waterways and surrounding areas. Across the three days of activities, approximately 400 volunteers and students participated in the 2026 International Coastal Cleanup, collecting a combined 1554 kilograms of waste from Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin, not including the larger debris that could not easily be weighed. The most prevalent items recorded were single-use plastics and foam litter.
The activities kicked off on Friday in Philipsburg, where 96 students from Oranje School, Leonard Conner School and Charlotte Brookson Academy cleaned the beach and boardwalk. In just one hour, the students collected 123 kilograms of trash.
On Saturday morning, an estimated 200 volunteers spread out across Little Bay Beach & Pond, cleaning the beach, pond and roadside. Together, volunteers collected 691 kilograms of litter, excluding heavier debris such as pallets, furniture, vehicle and vessel parts, etc, that were also removed from the beach and waterways. The amount of waste collected was so substantial that it filled the large metal garbage container provided by Meadowlands, and a second one was needed.
Beyond the litter collected, organisers also noted the exacerbation of the larger environmental concerns in the Little Bay area. A significant increase has occurred in the amount of construction debris dumped towards the beach. Volunteers also questioned the large amount of filling and debris obstructing parts of the public beach near Little Bay Pond. Considering the decrease of public accessibility to various local beaches, this is highly concerning, it a Caribbean-wide occurrence which has led to the demise of local accessibility throughout the region, all in the name of development. Several vehicle wrecks were also spotted among the mangroves.
The ICC weekend continued on Sunday at Anse des Sables / La Belle Creole on the French side, where over 90 motivated volunteers, including underwater teams, cleaned the coastline and surrounding area, collecting 119 bags of waste weighing 740 kilograms.
Spotted were teams and representatives from the Police Department, Teen Times, Learning Unlimited School, Grant Thornton, Dutch Representative Office, National Recovery Program Bureau, The World Bank, St. Maarten Development Foundation, Belair Community, IGY Marinas, Carib Swim Team, and more. Member of Parliament Ludmila de Weever and the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport Melissa Gumbs, also took part.
The International Coastal Cleanup is a worldwide initiative led by Ocean Conservancy. Each year, volunteers in more than 120 countries come together to remove trash from beaches, oceans and waterways while collecting valuable data on marine debris. Throughout the weekend, participants used Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell app and data cards to record the types of waste collected. This data helps identify the types and possible sources of debris found along coastlines and can support waste-management, anti-littering, education, recycling and marine-conservation efforts. The Clean Swell app can be used throughout the year to collect data.
At Little Bay, the most commonly recorded items included glass beverage bottles, plastic beverage bottles, bottle caps, plastic grocery bags, cigarette butts and beverage cans. Nearly half (47%) of all recorded items at Little Bay were identifiable single-use plastic or foam products, including plastic bottles, bags, cups, food containers, wrappers, straws and utensils. On the French side, plastic waste also dominated the items recorded, with plastic bags, plastic beverage bottles and plastic grocery bags among the most common items. Emphasizing the importance of moving away from harmful single-use items to more sustainable alternatives.
The 2026 International Coastal Cleanup was a collaborative effort involving Sint Maarten Pride Foundation, Clean St. Martin Association, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC), Sint Maarten Nature Foundation, St. Maarten Development Fund, Saint Martin Trails and Les Sauveteurs en Mer (SNSM). The Foundations also commend several schools and other organisations who have organised their own community cleanups, such as the Sint Maarten Academy.
A special thank you goes to Tim Roosens for taking the lead on this year’s ICC and bringing the different organisations, volunteers and activities together. Roosens is also actively involved in keeping the island clean throughout the year and organises monthly cleanups on French Saint-Martin through the Clean St. Martin Association.
The organisers also extend their sincere thanks to the businesses and organisations that supported this year’s ICC through refreshments, supplies and prizes for participating volunteers. Support was provided by LVMO Sarl, Meadowlands, Domino’s Pizza, Gelateria Milano, Perpetual Plastics/EPIC, the Scuba Shop, Tri-Sport, Rainforest Adventures, Ocean Explorers, Nature Foundation, Heavenly Water, Grant Thornton, Top 1 Toys, Martijn Trading, Carrefour and Super U. Their contributions helped make the weekend possible and provided some well-deserved rewards and refreshments for the volunteers. A special thank you also goes out to the volunteers who supported multiple clean ups throughout the weekend.
The organisers thank everyone who volunteered, donated, coordinated or otherwise supported this year’s activities and contributed towards cleaner coastlines and a healthier Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin.
