Keep Coral Gables Beautiful

Mission

To promote environmental sustainability and educate the community to take action every day to reduce litter from our open spaces & waterways, improve recycling efforts, and keep our City Beautiful.

KCGB was established in July 2020 and through this program, the City conducts a variety of events including downtown community cleanups, beautification events, educational opportunities, invasive plant removals, and more. Learn about upcoming events and how to get involved!

Programs and Upcoming Events

2025 Great American Cleanup Season

Plogging at Matheson event flyer

Celebrate the 2025 Great American Cleanup season on Saturday, April 19, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Matheson Hammock Park, located at 9610 Old Cutler Road. Volunteers will jog or walk through the mangrove trails, collecting litter to prevent it from re-entering the ocean.

What is plogging? It’s a fun, eco-friendly workout that combines jogging (or walking) with plocka upp — Swedish for “picking up” litter. Move at your own pace while making a difference.

Let’s clean up and get moving! With support from Rock the Ocean.

Volunteer hours available upon request.

Register for the 5th Annual Plogging at Matheson Cleanup

Earth Month Documentary Screening

A man with a cap looks over a farm with a red cape billowing in the wind

Join Keep Coral Gables Beautiful for a special Earth Month documentary screening at the Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave, on Tuesday, April 22, at 6 p.m. We’ll be showcasing "Common Ground", the award-winning follow-up to "Kiss the Ground". 

The KCGB team will be outside the cinema at 5 p.m. to share information about our sustainability initiatives. Doors for the documentary open at 5:30 p.m.

"Common Ground", directed by Josh and Rebecca Tickell, explores the power of regenerative agriculture to heal our soil, improve our health, and create a more sustainable future. This Tribeca Film Festival winner features an all-star cast, including Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Woody Harrelson, Ian Somerhalder, Donald Glover, Rosario Dawson, and more.

Don’t miss this inspiring film and the chance to take action for a healthier planet! Discounted tickets available through Keep Coral Gables Beautiful sponsorship. 

Buy Tickets Today for Common Ground

Recycling Drive-Thru

Bi-Annual Recycling Drive-Thru Event graphic

Keep Coral Gables Beautiful will host the resident-exclusive bi-annual Recycling Drive-Thru Event on Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to noon at the parking lot behind City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way. Walk-ins and bicyclists are welcome. Participants need to enter the City Hall parking lot through Coral Way. Items will not be accepted before 9 a.m. or after noon

Come out to recycle your old electronics and large cardboard boxes, dispose of your household hazardous waste, plastic bags & film (please see list of acceptable items for drive-thru), shred your sensitive documents, and donate your lightly/gently used clothing. 

Over the past nine years, these bi-annual events have diverted over 601,000 pounds of electronic, household hazardous waste, plastic film, clothing, and paper from entering landfills. 

Learn more about the Recycling Drive-Thru.

Keep Coral Gables Beautiful Information

Keep Coral Gables Beautiful is a local affiliate of the Keep America Beautiful and Keep Florida Beautiful organizations. 

Newsletter

Want to stay notified of upcoming Keep Coral Gables Beautiful events? Join our newsletter.

Business/Group Cleanups

Whether you are a business looking for team-building opportunities or a group of friends wanting to give back to the community, we will help you coordinate a cleanup event. Complete and submit the KCGB Business/Group Event Request Form to get started.

More Initiatives and Past Events

In this section

Showing content for section Reverse Vending Machine Rewards Incentive Program

Reverse Vending Machine Rewards Incentive Program

Thank you to the 715 people who participated in our Reverse Vending Machine Pilot Program. With your help, we were able to collect 18,258 containers in one year; that equals 1,035 pounds of beverage containers recycled! This program was made possible through the Florida Beverage Association Community Grant and Cycle.

We are grateful for all six of our local Coral Gables business partners who rewarded the top ten highest recyclers for each bi-monthly contest period. Coral Gables Art CinemaAmigo GrillManKind Grooming & ServicesWell Groomed GentlemanJust Salad and Mint Wellness.

Click here to learn more about recycling in Coral Gables and check in often to learn about our new recycling programs coming in 2024.

Graphic with photos of children using the Reverse Vending Machine and text reading "18,258 Containers Recycled"

UM Reverse Vending Machine

Machine on left, sketch of a bottle on right, in the center a sustainability message from UM

Support the University of Miami's Sustainability Initiative student group at Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science (RSMAS) by collecting empty cans and bottles! For every plastic or aluminum beverage container recycled in the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM), the Sustainability Initiative earns a donation.

The RVM is located on the Main Campus at the Hurricane Food Court, in front of the Market store. Drop-off hours are Monday through Friday 8:30-10:30 a.m. and 3-5 p.m. The food court will be closed during holidays. No more than one bag per drop-off.

Learn more about UM's recycling here.

Air Potato Patrol

Air potatoes in South Florida are an invasive and noxious weed. To remove, pull them out from the bulb and detach from the vine. Place them in a plastic bag as they can continue to grow if left on the ground. How to spot and remove air potatoes.

Commissioner Anderson's Removal Campaign 

In an effort to build awareness, Commissioner Anderson is giving out a $10 dollar Books & Books gift card for anyone that  brings in one pound of air potatoes. You can bring them to City Hall to her office or at a city event. Events the Air Potato Patrol will be attending will be posted here. 

Downtown Community Cleanup – End of Summer Edition 2023

Downtown Community Cleanup – End of Summer Edition 2023

Keep Coral Gables Beautiful held it's End of Summer Downtown Community Cleanup on Aug. 31. Fifty-seven volunteers collected 369 pounds of litter from the downtown area, setting a new record for litter collected and our biggest turn-out to date. The Most Pounds Collected Contest provided several team winners with Books & Books gift cards, Venetian Pool tickets and a VIP Clutch Burger Card. A special thank you to the Chamber of Commerce, Clutch Burger, and Baptist Health South Florida.

Group photo of participants at the Downtown Community Cleanup

Pinewood Cemetery Invasive Plant Removal 2023

Volunteers standing together with pinewoods behind and over them

On Friday, Aug. 4, 40 volunteers helped remove more than 7,500 pounds of invasive oyster plants from the Pinewood Cemetery. Volunteers did a fantastic job completing this collection in under two hours. Thank you to the Pinewood Cemetery Advisory Board and the Greenspace Management team for making this event possible! Also, a special thank you to Ranger Ready Repellent for their donation of 500 3.4-ounce insect repellent sprays that were given to everyone who attended the event.

Orange Ranger Ready text inside an orange badge

Plogging at Matheson 2023

Keep Coral Gables Beautiful wants to thank everyone who participated in the Great American Cleanup season kickoff event, "Plogging at Matheson," on April 1, 2023. Participants collected a total of 56 pounds of waste, all while enjoying the spring weather and helping the environment.

Volunteers stand in front of the bay, a green tree and blue sky are in the background