Coastal Cleanup Day Is Saturday Across LA County, From Beaches To Inland Communities

LOS ANGELES, CA — Thousands of volunteers are expected to fan out across Los Angeles County on Saturday for California Coastal Cleanup Day, the annual effort to remove trash and plastic pollution from beaches, waterways and communities.

The statewide cleanup is set for Saturday, with more than 60 sites planned across Los Angeles County, according to Heal the Bay, which coordinates the countywide effort in partnership with the California Coastal Commission and Ocean Conservancy.

Cleanup sites will include beaches, rivers, parks, trails, neighborhoods and underwater dive locations across Los Angeles County. Volunteers can choose a site based on where they live or the type of cleanup they want to join.

View a map of sites across LA County here.

The event is part of the 42nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, which is expected to draw more than 50,000 volunteers to hundreds of locations statewide, according to the California Coastal Commission.

The cleanup extends well beyond the shoreline. Events are held along inland waterways and in communities throughout all 58 California counties because trash carried through storm drains, creeks and rivers can eventually reach the ocean.

Organizers said that connection could be especially important this year because increased rainfall can wash plastic and other debris from inland waterways toward the coast.

“As we celebrate the 50th year of the Coastal Act, Coastal Cleanup Day serves as an important reminder that we all need to show up to protect our coast,” California Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge said. “Year after year, Californians demonstrate their commitment to a clean and healthy coast and ocean, proving that Californians will take action to save our state’s iconic shoreline.”

More than 40,000 volunteers participated at more than 700 sites statewide on Coastal Cleanup Day last year, according to the commission.

Since the event began in 1985, nearly 1.9 million volunteers have removed more than 13,770 tons of trash, the commission said. Cigarette filters, food wrappers, plastic straws and utensils are among the most commonly collected items.

People looking for a cleanup site can find locations and additional information at coastalcleanupday.org.