SOUTH PADRE — Today, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced the results of the 2019 South Padre Island Winter Cleanup.

“The can-do Texas spirit cannot be stopped,” said Commissioner George P. Bush. “Despite the bitter cold and fierce wind, 303 volunteers joined together and removed 3,384 pounds of trash from three miles of beach on South Padre. Our volunteers’ dedication to keeping our Texas beaches clean is unbelievable. I am grateful for each of you as we could not do this without you. Thank you, Adopt-A-Beach volunteers!”

Since the cleanups began, more than 529,000 volunteers have removed more than 9,600 tons of trash from Texas beaches. Cigarette butts, beer cans and plastic bags are among the most common items found. However, with each cleanup, plenty of odd and unusual items inevitably are reported. On Friday, strange items found on South Padre included an array of toys left behind by careless beachgoers. 

The Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach program is an all-volunteer effort to remove trash from Texas' shores. Coastal cleanups are held three times each year and the program's success is due to the hard work of volunteers, including local coordinators who work many unpaid hours publicizing the cleanups in coastal communities. The Coastwide Spring Adopt-A-Beach effort is scheduled for Saturday, April 13th, 2019. Adopt-A-Beach volunteers record data on the trash they find to learn more about the causes of marine debris and to help mitigate pollution along Texas' 367 miles of coastline.

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