Make a Splash: 'Clean Up Florida Waters' with Florida Realtors®

ORLANDO, Fla., July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Realtors® and other volunteers across the state are making waves this July and cleaning up Florida's beaches, lakes and other waterways as part of Florida Realtors "Clean Up Florida Waters" effort.

In 2025, the Clean Up Florida Waters events spanned 239 miles and included nearly 2,050 participants.

"Realtors know that Florida's beautiful beaches and waterways are a big reason so many people love to live in – and visit – the Sunshine State," said 2026 Florida Realtors President Chuck Bonfiglio Jr., broker-owner of AAA Realty Group in Plantation. "During last year's project, about 2,050 volunteers took part in 134 local water cleanup events across the state. Together, they logged 717 hours removing debris from 239 miles of waterways. In all, volunteers removed almost 16 tons of trash – about the weight of six full-size school buses."

Some of the items found during the effort are surprising: Last year, the cleanups turned up everything from a freezer and street signs to a box of rolled quarters and even a full bottle of sake.

The statewide cleanup effort, now in its sixth year, encourages Realtors and residents to plan events in their communities to pick up trash and clean lakes, rivers, streams, retention ponds, bays, Intracoastal Waterway, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.

The program also encourages local groups to partner with existing environmental groups, such as the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), local CCA chapters, state Waterkeepers organizations, Captains for Clean Water and Keep Florida Beautiful.

Florida Realtors is a Keep Florida Beautiful Gold Sun Level partner, which means that local Keep Florida Beautiful affiliate organizations may join forces with Realtor groups to help with local waterway cleanup efforts.

Stellar MLS is the main sponsor for Florida Realtors' Clean Up Florida Waters; additional sponsors are Coast 2 Coast MLS Data Share and Coastal Conservation Association Florida(CCA). For more information about the event or to see where some local Realtor associations are doing cleanups, go to Florida Realtors Clean Up Florida Waters.

Florida Realtors® is The Voice for Real Estate® in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to 238,000 members in 47 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Newsroom site is available at http://floridarealtors.org/newsroom.

SOURCE Florida Realtors