California Coastal Cleanup Day 2019: Volunteers Needed Statewide

CALIFORNIA — The 35th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day is scheduled for Saturday, September 21. There are more than 1,000 locations participating throughout the state, and the event is expected to draw tens of thousands of participants who want to help remove trash from California's beaches and inland waterways, the Clean Water Program said.

In 2018, nearly 60,000 Californians volunteered to rid the state of more than 530,000 pounds of trash, according to the organization. Collecting litter on land is critical in helping to prevent ocean pollution, the Clean Water Program said.

"That's because the vast majority of debris found in the ocean — up to 80 percent — originates inland, where it is carried by rainwater, street runoff and wind into the storm drain system," according to Clean Water Program. "From there litter travels into creeks, the Bay and the ocean, as stormwater generally does not pass through a water treatment plant."

Litter, and especially plastic, is a hazard to marine wildlife, as animals can get entangled within it or poisoned if they mistake plastic items for food.

Visit the California Coastal Commission to find a California Coastal Cleanup Day event near you. Other volunteer opportunities can be found on the statewide event map.

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