Thousands Head to Beach to Collect Tons of Trash for Coastal Cleanup Day

About 10 thousand volunteers are expected to spend three hours today picking up trash at more than 50 spots along Los Angeles County beaches and inland waterways today, as part of the 26th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

Over the years, Coastal Cleanup Day participants in Los Angeles County have collected more than a million pounds of trash -- roughly the weight of a fully loaded Boeing 747.

Almost 600 thousand people worldwide are expected to participate in what the Guinness Book of World Records calls the biggest single-day volunteer event on the planet. Between 9 a.m. and noon, about 10,000 volunteers in Los Angeles County and thousands more in Orange County are expected to collect trash at dozens of sites.

Statewide efforts are being organized by the California Coastal Commission.

Work in Los Angeles County is being led by the nonprofit Heal the Bay. Orange County Coastkeeper and Trails4All will coordinate work in that county.

Attendees also receive hands-on education about other ways they can help keep watersheds clean. Some cleanup sites are offering giveaways, entertainment and other special incentives. “It’s gratifying to see so many people come out each year to protect what they love,” said Heal the Heal the Bay is a nonprofit dedicated to grading beach water quality and engaging the community to help keep the coastline clean. It conducts cleanups throughout the Southland and operates the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

City News Service