For sandbags that have come into contact with floodwaters: • Sandbags that have been in contact with floodwaters may be contaminated by sewage, animal waste, oil or chemicals. Wear gloves and a dust mask when handling potentially contaminated materials. Do not place used sand in or near bodies of water, playgrounds, sandboxes or other areas of direct human contact. • Bring used sandbags, separated from other waste, to the Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Complex, 3095 114th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. • Disposal fees apply. Disposal fees for sandbags will be waived after hurricane season, from Dec. 1, 2024, through the end of 2024. • Do not put sand or full sandbags in your regular trash or yard waste. Do not mix sandbags with yard debris for disposal. Visit pinellas.gov/sandbags for more information. For updates on Hurricane Debby recovery efforts, visit disaster.pinellas.gov.
Source: https://pinellas.gov/sandbags
Everyone Can Help with Small Steps and Stoops Did You Know? Walking down the beach and picking up trash can nearly double the calories you burn! As you stoop and gather litter, you might also find some hidden treasures. In the wrack (seaweed & seagrass), you can discover over 300 types of seashells and 60 varieties of sea beans. Additionally, this natural debris provides a vital habitat for various wildlife, including the rare and endangered piping plover shorebirds. The wrack often targets the human litter left behind which can be collected by hand. By personally p icking up plastic and other litter, we can significantly reduce the threats to wildlife from ingestion and entanglement.
Pictured above are results of a 15-minute walk picking up bottle caps, cigarette butts, and other plastics stuck in the wrack along the shore.
During the storm a lot of trash in wrack washed up along the beach. The picture above is beach access #10
By cleaning our beaches, we not only enhance our own well-being but also support the preservation of precious ecosystems. Next time you visit the beach, consider bringing a reusable shopping bag to collect any litter you find. Together, we can keep our beaches clean and protect the wildlife that depends on them.
Source: INWATER RESEARCH GROUP A non- profit organization Protecting the Marine Environment https://www.inwater.org/
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