Coastal Cleanup 2023

Coastal Cleanup 2023 will be held on Saturday, September 23, and all month long!

This annual litter cleanup event is a great opportunity to invite that friend 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 you’ve been meaning to catch up with! Most cleanup sites hold their event from 9 a.m. – noon.

If you plan on doing a 🏡 neighborhood cleanup, you pick the time and place at your convenience.

How to Participate

1. Register for a group cleanup site near you at smchealth.org/ccd. Or, if you’re doing a neighborhood cleanup let us know you’re participating by filling out the form here.
2. Download the Clean Swell App on your phone to track the trash you collect.
3. Print and sign the waiver form if you’re going to a group cleanup (waivers provided at the cleanup if you don’t have a printer).
4. Bring bags you’ve collected or a bucket from home to pick up trash (bags provided at the cleanup if you need them).
5. Bring reusable garden gloves (gloves provided at the cleanup if you need them).
6. Wear closed-toe shoes, layers, a hat, and sunscreen.
7. Bring your reusable water bottle.
8. Charge your cell phone to use the Clean Swell App.

Your participation makes a difference 🐬!

Coastal Cleanup 2022 – Calling All Volunteers!

Get your reusable gloves 🧤, buckets, and water bottles 💧 ready! There are two ways to participate in the annual litter cleanup event this September:

1. Join the main event on Saturday, September 17^th from 9 a.m. to noon – San Mateo County is hosting over 50 cleanup sites led by site captains with thousands of volunteers gathering in groups to remove litter before it breaks up into smaller pieces, injures wildlife, or ends up in our waterways 🌊.
   
2. Cleanup all month–long – can’t join the main event? You can still make a difference right outside your doorsteps 🚪. Gather your family and friends, go solo, or bring fido 🐕‍🦺, and pick up litter in your neighborhood throughout September.

If you are looking for an opportunity to help beautify and protect your community, and be inspired by fellow volunteers, register today at smchealth.org/ccd to find a location near you.

Coastal Cleanup Captain Spotlight: Realtor by Day, Litter Hero by Weekend

“Everyone gains a better
understanding of watershed education when creeks, bays, and
inland areas are included in Coastal Cleanup Day activities.”
— Davena Gentry,
Bedwell Bayfront Park Coastal Cleanup Day Site Captain

Davena Gentry has been keeping the Bay clean at Bedwell Bayfront Park in Menlo Park for the past five years. As a realtor by day, Davena incorporates her love for the environment into her career, and has earned a Green Designation from the National Association of Realtors. She enjoys educating children about how litter flows downstream, where it often originates in creeks and streams before reaching the Bay and ocean.

Join Davena and many other earth heroes on Coastal Cleanup Day – Saturday, September 16th. Visit smchealth.org/ccd to find one of the 30 Bay or coast cleanup sites in San Mateo County!

Prevent Cigarette Butt Pollution

Have you seen this receptacle before?  In 2016, four cigarette butt receptacles were installed in downtown Millbrae to help smokers have a place to stash their cigarette butts. The receptacles installed reduced butts by 49% near the installation area over a four month period.

2016 Coastal Cleanup Day is Another Success!

Volunteers at Poplar Beach in Half Moon Bay ready for a cleanup.

Last Saturday thousands of volunteers showed up in San Mateo County to clean up litter on shorelines, beaches, parks and neighborhoods in honor of Coastal Cleanup Day.

From Brisbane all the way down to Pescadero, over 3,871 volunteers of all ages showed how much of a difference one event can make. In just three hours volunteers collected an estimated 22,299 pounds of trash and 3,754 pounds of recyclables from over 33 sites on the bayside and coast by climbing hills and even wading through water! For a few volunteers it was worth it because they were lucky enough to uncover a few of the most unusual items of the day, such as a backpack full of crabs in Half Moon Bay and an old police radio in Burlingame.

Get Ready for the 32nd Annual Coastal Cleanup Day

There are over 30 locations in San Mateo County to help clean up!

Join us on September 17th 9am-Noon to participate in California’s largest volunteer event that helps clean up and protect our beaches, shorelines, creeks, neighborhoods and parks in San Mateo County. These locations have historically been collection spots for trash and debris, and if not removed, can be harmful to marine wildlife and human health.

 

Making a Difference by Cleaning Up

Celine Gerakin is a Pacifica Beach Coalition Site Captain who also leads a cleanup team on Coastal Cleanup Day

By Celine Gerakin, Guest Blogger and Coastal Cleanup Day Site Captain

I started cleaning up beaches around Half Moon Bay in late 2013 after I moved to the area with my husband. This quickly became an addiction, and I knew I wanted to do more, be more involved with the coastal environment, and make a bigger difference. So I joined the non-profit organization Pacifica Beach Coalition and started cleaning up beaches on a weekly basis from Mussel Rock in Daly City to Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica.