Trash Day Is Coming | Join the 40th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day on September 21

California’s largest volunteer event — Coastal Cleanup Day — is back on Saturday, September 21, and this year’s 40th annual endeavor is shaping up to be the largest one yet. 

“Last year, over 1,200 community members from Gaviota to Carpinteria picked up 2.87 tons of litter. We hope to beat that record in September,” shared Jill Cloutier, Public Relations Director of Explore Ecology, the Santa Barbara–based environmental education nonprofit that organizes the event locally in partnership with the County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery and Waste Management, with support from the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Solvang. 

Part of a statewide event organized by the California Coastal Commission, Coastal Cleanup Day is a global day of action that empowers people around the world to become part of the solution to ocean pollution. The concept is simple: Volunteers work together to show their favorite beach or creek some TLC by removing litter from 9 a.m. to noon on September 21. Pre-registration is requested but not required (see bit.ly/3ZiqhyU). Sites range from Carpinteria to Guadalupe, and volunteers of all ages can participate. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own cleanup materials, if possible, to reduce waste and decrease the cleanup’s plastic footprint. If volunteers don’t have supplies, there will be plenty available at each site.