Nearly 20,000 Pounds of Trash Collected at More than 40 Sites During Orange County Coastal Cleanup Day
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Couches, drone and traffic light among collected debris
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Orange County Coastkeeper coordinated more than 3,900 volunteers throughout 44 sites countywide
WHAT:
This past Saturday, Sept. 18, an estimated 3,928 volunteers headed to cleanup sites across Orange County to join the fight against ocean pollution during Coastal Cleanup Day. Orange County Coastkeeper coordinated 44 cleanup sites in Orange County, including virtual ones, where volunteers removed 19,674.12 pounds of trash from beaches, parks and wetlands.
As of Sept. 23, 39 of the 44 participating sites had reported their data.
The Orange County cleanup is part of California Coastal Cleanup Day, organized by the California Coastal Commission with cleanup sites statewide, including more than 40 in Orange County. Coastkeeper partners with the California Coastal Commission to serve as the regional coordinator for the county.
ITEMS FOUND:
Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers recorded dozens of obscure items including:
- Couches
- Drone
- Flat screen TVs
- Traffic light
- Sports balls
- Shopping cart
- Children’s play tent
WHY:
Orange County beaches and waterways collect trash that travels from inland communities via the county’s rivers and storm drains. Creek and beach cleanups stand as a last line of defense to prevent this debris from polluting the ocean and harming marine wildlife. By getting involved with your local beach, creek, or park cleanup you can prevent debris from entering our oceans.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
This year, the California Coastal Commission and Orange County Coastkeeper are also hosting a month-long virtual event throughout September where volunteers can collect trash on any date. Volunteers will be able to contribute to the data collected by Coastal Cleanup Day by using the Clean Swell® app and using the group name Coastkeeper Clean. Even after Coastal Cleanup Month is over, you can get involved in keeping our beaches clean by participating in our monthly public cleanups that can be found on our website.
QUOTES:
“I loved watching volunteers from all across Orange County, and beyond, come together for one purpose: to care for our coastline and waterways,” said Suzanne Welsh, Orange County Coastkeeper’s volunteer coordinator. “Trash and marine debris is a huge issue for our local ecosystems, whether inland or coastal and marine. And getting involved in cleaning it up is as important as making changes to how we use our resources and what products we choose to use daily. Small actions taken daily can have huge cumulative effects and participating in a local cleanup is a great way to get involved and begin to see the scope of the problem.”
SPONSORS:
This year’s Orange County Coastal Cleanup Day event sponsors included: Arrowhead® Mountain Spring Water, City of Santa Ana, Irvine Ranch Water District and City of La Habra.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS AND CONTACT:
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ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER: Since 1999, Southern California residents have relied on Orange County Coastkeeper to be their leading voice in protecting clean water. The organization works collaboratively with diverse groups in the public and private sectors to achieve healthy, accessible, and sustainable water resources for the region. Coastkeeper achieves this through innovative, effective programs in education, advocacy, restoration, research, enforcement, and conservation. Coastkeeper is a member of the International Waterkeeper Alliance, which has 236 different independent programs across 29 countries. For more information, visit www.coastkeeper.org or call 714-850-1965.
