When is coastal cleanup day

Plastics are especially harmful as they are non-biodegradable. The weather and UV Rays makes these plastics break down into tiny pieces, which then get infiltrated into the environment. The result is a negative effect on the ecosystem. According to estimates, there are 5. While some of these plastics were dumped directly into the sea, some of it was swept into the sea from the coastline. By ridding beaches of plastic and other garbage, it lessens the likelihood of it ending up in the ocean.

Conservation groups all around the world organize cleanup days along the coastlines and waterways of their communities. It takes hundreds of thousands of volunteers to do this huge but rewarding job.

Keep cleaning up your neighborhoods, parks, and local areas beyond Coastal Cleanup Day. Trash from inland areas flows downstream to the coast, so cleaning up neighborhood trash prevents marine debris. Gather cleanup supplies from home, download the CleanSwell app to count your trash, and to have your trash counted!

Also check out our Adopt-a-Beach program to keep protecting your happy place all year long! We look forward to seeing you for next year's cleanup in September ! Reporting thorough and accurate data helps create long-term solutions to pollution. Please use the app if possible, or download a paper data card.

California Coastal Cleanup is the third Saturday of September. The cleanup brings awareness to the marine litter problem and provides a community event for direct involvement. Join the movement for an environment where people and ecosystems can survive and thrive. Volunteer alongside your families, friends, coworkers, scout troops, school groups, and service clubs. Not only do they help spread awareness of the plastic pollution crisis, but they can provide valuable insights into what is ending up on our beaches and in our waterways.

By collecting data during cleanups, we are able to get a clearer picture of the types of products most commonly ending up as pollutioin. Surfrider then uses this data to help inform policy decisions and push for plastic reduction legislation. Spoiler alert: Single-use plastics are consistently found during beach cleanups! Since , Surfrider partners REEF and CLIF Bar have supported the collection and removal of hundreds of thousands of pounds of litter from our coastlines and waterways through the Better Beach Alliance, a coalition of program supporters formed to help raise awareness and support the growth and expansion of Surfrider's Plastic Pollution Initiative.