Over 1,554 kg of Trash Collected During St. Maarten's 2026 ICC Cleanup

Volunteers, students, community organizations, and businesses joined forces across both sides of the island — Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin — for the 2026 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). The collaborative effort resulted in the removal of more than 1,554 kilograms of waste from beaches, coastlines, waterways, and surrounding areas. The ICC is an annual global initiative that mobilizes communities to address marine debris and environmental pollution at the local level. St. Maarten's participation reflects growing civic engagement around environmental stewardship on the dual-nation island. The cleanup's cross-border nature, involving both the Dutch and French sides, underscores the shared responsibility both communities feel toward protecting their coastline. The volume of waste collected highlights the ongoing challenge of waste management and ocean pollution facing Caribbean islands. Events like these also carry indirect benefits for tourism, as clean beaches and healthy coastal ecosystems are central to the island's appeal.