Toy collection boxes at beach are Boy Scout's idea to help others, environment

SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - They are the sand toys left behind at the beach. They become hard plastic rubbish, that’s dangerous to marine life. But a boy-scout is saying, “not anymore.”

He is a student at Westshore Jr. High School in Melbourne. His solution is in place at two beaches.

“It’s working really well here,  as you can see, it’s overflowing,” said Pierson Mauldin, an 8th-grader working his way towards Eagle Scout.

This crate is a community focused project Pierson cooked up to clean up the beach. Take a toy, leave a toy, if you find an abandoned toy in the sand- put it in the box.

“I went around and got donations for lumber and screws to build it and then I talked to the city and got approved,” Mauldin said.

The city quickly approved. To put this into perspective: The problem of litter on the beach -- much of it hard plastic toys -- is about to get worse now that its summer. According to Keep Brevard Beautiful, last month, 710 pounds of litter was picked up off the beach.

“I am always fishing and always in the outdoors and I think it’s important to help clean up the environment.” Mauldin said.