FillABag stations empower people to turn daily beach walks into meaningful clean ups by providing reusable bags and buckets to fill with trash during their stroll.
The Ocean Conservancy considers that the number one threat to Florida’s marine environment is trash and marine debris. In 2015, we had an idea; bring an empty bag on daily beach strolls, fill it with trash found along the shoreline, and share our activity on social media and community chats.
The public response to our plan has been overwhelmingly positive. Clearly it has tapped into a growing sense of outrage at the destruction of our coastal environments. People began sharing their own “fill a bag” pictures, while others asked how they could help.
“Let’s make it easy!”
Our idea evolved. With the support of the Village of Key Biscayne, we installed a FillABag station at the eastern edge of our favorite local beach. Planted next to sorting trash cans at a beachfront access point, the whitewashed 6’ post with 4 sea-green pegs was a beacon designed to hold reusable bags and buckets for people to use. “Did you forget your bag today? No problem, use one or ours!”
In 2018, our friends at Volunteercleanup.org, a group of Miami-based ecowarriors, suggested that we enter and submit our concept to The Miami Foundation Public Space Challenge; a competition open to Miamians who want to create, improve or activate their local public spaces. After winning the 2018 Public Space Challenge grant, and with the ongoing support of the Key Biscayne Community Foundation, 14 FAB Stations have been activated so far in Key Biscayne, Virginia Key, Surfside, the Dr. Von D. Minzell-Eula Johnson State Park in Dania Beach, and on the historic Flagler Avenue boardwalk in New Smyrna Beach.
Expansion plans in 2019 include more FAB Stations in Miami-Dade, Broward and Volusia Counties, as well as charter stations in Palm Beach and Indian River Counties. FillABag is proud to be part of a growing international movement of eco-minded awareness and action.
Locally, our beaches in South Florida are one of our most valued treasures and knowing that we are not alone in wanting to preserve their beauty and magic is encouraging. National Institute of Health studies indicates people of all ages, races, genders, and backgrounds benefit from connections with others while engaging in environmental activism. After participating in beach clean ups, people are more confident in their knowledge about their environments and more observant of marine life.
FAB stations provide an important opportunity to learn the joy of community service and the value of our environment. There’s a movement happening. People are tired of seeing trash on their beaches, and in their communities. Folks are organizing and participating in clean ups on a more consistent basis, and FillABag is making it easier to engage people in activities that impact lifestyle awareness choices. From the onset, FillABag’s foundation was designed around the MVP Model; Minimal Viable Product. Let’s provide a way to engage people in eco-activism, and allow the individual’s and the local community’s response to define its trajectory.
When selecting and vetting potential sites, all efforts are made to tailor the project to the community and its location. This includes collaboration with location stakeholders; ensuring that the design compliments the character of the location, integrating social media platforms, scaffolding a maintenance model defining roles for volunteers to monitor the FAB Station, and an educational outreach component. Throughout the process, we continue to work closely with our non-profit fiscal sponsor, The Key Biscayne Community Foundation, in securing funding sources to ensure our ability to sustain and scale the longevity of the project.
Join the movement by filling a bag at your favorite beach and by following us on Instagram.
