SURF CITY, N.C.— One small-town mayor in the middle of the North Carolina coast has made it his administration's mission to keep his town’s beaches clean.

 

What You Need To Know

The Surf City Beach Sweep helps at the beginning of the tourist season, the middle of the season and at the end 

In 2021, over 100,000 pieces of trash, weighing over 50,000 pounds, was collected along the North Carolina coast, according to the Ocean Conservancy 

The most common piece of trash found is cigarette butts, making up over 50% of the trash found on beaches, according to the Ocean Conservancy 

 

Mayor Douglas Medlin has lived in Surf City his whole life, and he became the town's mayor in 2020. He has been helping clean the beach since he can remember.

He says that the purpose of being the mayor is to keep the town’s beaches clean and safe, protecting people and wildlife in Surf City. That is why the Surf City Beach Sweep has been an official town event for the past 10 years.

Medlin’s reason for coming out multiple times a year to clean is simple: “Cause I love the beach,” he said.

In 2021, the Ocean Conservancy collected data on trash picked up during the North Carolina coastal cleanup that year. Over 50% of trash found was comprised of cigarette butts. Less than 50% of trash found were various plastic materials.

“Used to have a saying ‘don’t leave your butts on the beach,’ and that was the cigarette butt,” Medlin said.

This commitment to keep the town clean has caused each beach sweep to take less and less time since the effort is being made to keep the area free from trash. 

Many locals consistently come out to pick up trash on the beach, and for the Medlin family, keeping the beaches clean has been passed down from generation to generation.

“Just the family way of life,” Medlin said.

Picking up trash on the beach is an established priority in the family. Medlin says that his grandchildren are always aware when they come to the beach.

“They come out here a lot during the summer they clean up, they come off with trash every time they come over on the beach,” Medlin said.

Many groups, like the Longboard Association, clean the beaches weekly.

The next town-wide beach sweep is planned for the end of tourist season this fall.