It’s the largest cleanup and volunteer event in the state and celebrates its 40th year this year.
"We can have a major impact on keeping our beaches clean, " explains Jill Cloutier from Explore Ecology – which manage the Coastal Cleanup Day for our region.
Cloutier says that as well as removing trash, the litter found has shaped policy and helped generate new laws and regulations.
"What we do on Coastal Cleanup Day really does have an impact statewide. Plastic bags were the fifth most common item of trash collected in 1998, and then California banned plastic bags in 2016. And then a year later, plastic bags are no longer one of the top ten items found," she said.
In 2023, Californians removed an astounding 188 tons of trash from beaches, inland sites, creeks, and rivers. In Santa Barbara County alone, over 1,200 volunteers picked up 2.87 tons of litter.
Here are more details on how to volunteer in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, and San Luis Obispo County.
