Realtors Net 13.5 Tons of Trash, Oddities
Nearly 1,200 Florida Realtors members and volunteers removed 13.5 tons of trash from 218 miles of waterways in July, finding items from a walker to a bottle of sake.
ORLANDO, Fla. – What happens when you bring nearly 1,200 Florida Realtors® members and volunteers together to clean up the state’s waterways? You get 13.525 tons of trash. For a visual, think a trash heap the size of two adult male African elephants or a fully loaded school bus.
See Photos from the 2025 Water Cleanup Event
Around the state, local boards/associations, brokerages, YPN networks and others took to the waters for the first statewide water cleanup project. Take a look at their photos commemorating this amazing event.
Better yet, you also get the unusual – a walker, a steering wheel, a box of rolled quarters and a full bottle of sake, just to name a few of the items found scattered along the state’s waterbodies.
Indeed, the members and volunteers who stepped up in July for the 2025 Clean Up Florida Water Campaign most certainly got the job done. The 1,197 participants covered 218 miles of waterways across the state during the 134 planned events. The 38 local boards that participated logged 450 hours picking up trash.
“Realtors know that our beautiful beaches and outstanding waterways are one of the major reasons so many people love to live in – and visit – the Sunshine State,” said 2025 Florida Realtors® President Tim Weisheyer, broker-owner, Dream Builders Realty and dbrCommercial Real Estate Services in Central Florida. “We know every one of us can make a difference. Working together, we can help preserve our waterways so that everyone can enjoy them now and for future generations.”
Since the Florida Realtors’ statewide cleanup effort started five years ago, it has expanded from a July event to year-round with Realtors® and residents planning events in their communities to pick up trash and clean lakes, rivers, streams, retention ponds, bays, Intracoastal Waterway, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.
This year’s July events also netted a freezer, barbecue grill, broken tent, iron bars, blender, folding table and cinderblocks.
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 Real MLS and Coastal Conservation Association (CCA).
© 2025 Florida Realtors®