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!
Upcoming Events
Recycling Drive-Thru
KCGB will be hosting a Recycling Drive-Thru on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon in the parking lot behind City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way, for city residents. Residents can bring old electronics and large cardboard boxes for recycling, dispose of household hazardous waste, plastic bags and film (please see list of acceptable items for recycling drive-thru), bring documents for shredding, and drop off “lightly/gently used" clothing (men's, women's and children's) which will be donated to Camillus House. There is a high demand specifically for men’s shirts, pants, and shorts.
Electronic items with a plug or batteries are eligible to be recycled. Coral Gables residents can drop off household hazardous waste items such as paint cans, pool chemicals, oils, batteries, and household pesticides. Proof of residency in Coral Gables is required.
Over the past nine years, these bi-annual events have diverted over 651,500 pounds of electronic, household hazardous waste, clothing, plastic film, and paper from entering landfills. This event is organized by Keep Coral Gables Beautiful in partnership with the Coral Gables Sustainability Advisory Board, the City of Coral Gables Police, and Public Works Departments.
Please note: Items will not be accepted before 9 a.m. or after 12 p.m. on the day of the event.
See Recycling Drive-Thru event page for more information
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.
The City of Coral Gables has received the Keep Florida Beautiful Clean Community Award for its dedication to maintaining clean, green spaces.
This award recognizes the joint effort of volunteers, local businesses, and community partners in keeping Coral Gables beautiful. Initiatives such as the Quarterly Downtown Community Cleanup and the city's Commercial Beautification Awards strengthen community engagement and ensure the upkeep required a beautiful, welcoming downtown area.
We are honored to announce Keep Coral Gables Beautiful has achieved President’s Circle status for the Keep America Beautiful (KAB) 2025 reporting year.
Through this accomplishment, Keep Coral Gables Beautiful has upheld the KAB mission, values, and vision. Keep Coral Gables Beautiful maintains certification in the KAB national network through compliance with the KAB annual reporting and fulfillment of the other necessary requirements.
Co-Executive Directors: Solanch Lopez and Matthew Anderson
Phone: 305-569-1835 | 305-460-5008
Staff
Diego J Cancel - Sustainability and Resiliency Supervisor
Phone: 305-460-5547
Nicole Gautney - Sustainability Coordinator
Phone: 305-476-7797
EMAIL: KCGB@coralgables.com
ADDRESS: 204 Minorca Ave., Coral Gables, FL 33134
Coral Gables takes great pride in maintaining its reputation as "The City Beautiful", a vibrant and innovative community dedicated to keeping our surroundings clean, safe, and visually appealing for all who live, work, and visit here.
As part of these efforts, the city actively participates in the Keep America Beautiful (KAB) Litter Index, an annual assessment that helps track litter conditions and guide local beautification initiatives. Members of the Sustainability Advisory Board lead the city’s participation in this program each year.
In 2021, the team adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with creativity and innovation, developing a safe and effective way to conduct the Litter Index. A GoPro camera was mounted on a city vehicle to capture videos and photos of selected survey areas throughout Coral Gables. These recordings were then reviewed and scored by Board members to assess litter conditions across the community. This new method resulted in KCGB winning the 2021 National KAB Innovation Award.
The insights gained through the KAB Litter Index continue to support Coral Gables’ commitment to maintaining a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable City Beautiful.
KCGB Programs
As of June 1, 2025, Keep Coral Gables Beautiful successfully completed its first full year of the NexTrex Plastic Film Recycling Program. Through the combined efforts of city staff and the community, the program collected and recycled over 1,000 pounds of plastic film – meeting the program goal and earning a bench made entirely from recycled materials, which will be placed in a public space within the city.
The NexTrex plastic film recycling program is at three city facilities. Recycle plastic film products such as plastic bags, plastic delivery envelopes, bread bags, bubble wrap and more. The City of Coral Gables encourages the use of reusable bags when shopping. However, we understand that some plastic materials are unavoidable which is why we are providing these recycling bins to ensure plastic film is disposed of properly.
All plastics collected will be recycled through NexTrex which repurposes the recycled plastic film into benches, deck materials and outdoor furniture. Please take a moment to review the list of accepted and unaccepted NexTrex items that can be placed in NexTrex bins. Thank you for joining us in making sustainable choices for our community.
NexTrex Plastic Film Recycling Bin Locations:
- Adult Activity Center: 2 Andalusia Ave.
- M-F, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- War Memorial Youth Center: 405 University Dr.
- M-F, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Parking & Mobility Services Office: 204 Minorca Ave.
- M-F, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Keep Coral Gables Beautiful’s longest running program is our year-round Battery Recycling Pilot Program. This program aligns with the city’s goal of reducing waste that ends up in landfills and building a more resilient and sustainable City Beautiful. Since its launch in July 2021, over 3,890 pounds of batteries have been collected and recycled. Learn more about accepted batteries.
Battery recycling bins have been placed in the following locations:
- Development Services Center: 427 Biltmore Way
- M-F, 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Police and Fire Headquarters: 2151 Salzedo St.
- War Memorial Youth Center: 405 University Drive
- M-F, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Public Works Department: 2800 SW 72nd Ave.
- Adult Activity Center: 2 Andalusia Ave.
- M-F, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Parking and Mobility Services: 204 Minorca Ave.
- M-F, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Please email sustainability@coralgables.com to coordinate bulk drop offs at the Parking and Mobility Services location.
- M-F, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Cigarette butt receptacles have been installed Downtown, with two at Ruth Bryan Owens Waterway Park to educate smokers about City Ordinance 2022-70, which prohibits smoking in public parks. These receptacles also prevent litter from entering the waterway.
Cigarette butts, the most littered item globally, comprise 20% of all litter, take up to 10 years to decompose, and release over 4,000 toxic chemicals harmful to humans and wildlife. Through a grant from Keep America Beautiful's Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, the city partners with TerraCycle to recycle collected cigarette butts.
View a map of all receptacle locations and continue to help keep Coral Gables the City Beautiful.
Since November 2024, Keep Coral Gables Beautiful has collected 12.7 pounds of cigarette waste from the downtown area and Ruth Bryan Owens Waterway Park using the designated receptacles. This effort has been supported by Block by Block, whose team actively gathers cigarette litter from the streets of Miracle Mile and Giralda Plaza, contributing significantly to the program’s success.
Keep Coral Gables Beautiful is offering litter kits for individuals and small groups looking to host recurring solo cleanups in Coral Gables. Each litter kit has everything that you need to hold your own cleanup event. The litter kit includes a litter picker, a pair of reusable gloves, a safety vest, and one reusable mesh bag. Litter Kits are made possible through Keep America Beautiful and the 2024 Great American Cleanup grant program. Kit recipients will be asked to complete a post-cleanup report for data collection.
Volunteer hours are provided upon request.
If you are interested in a litter kit, please fill out a litter kit request form. Availability is limited.
More Initiatives and Past Events
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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 Cinema, Amigo Grill, ManKind Grooming & Services, Well Groomed Gentleman, Just 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.
UM Reverse Vending Machine
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.
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.
Pinewood Cemetery Invasive Plant Removal 2023
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.
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.
