Beach cleanup doesn’t end with trash pickup day

Volunteers traipsed along the beach at Crystal Cove State Park Saturday, picking up trash and other debris as part of the California Coastal Commission’s 30th annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

The three-hour event was held at more than 850 sites in 55 of the state’s 58 counties, according to a Coastal Commission release.

With 75% of sites reporting, 54,124 volunteers turned out to help. They bagged 576,571 pounds of trash and an additional 109,494 pounds of recyclable materials for a total of 686,065 pounds or 343 tons, the release said.

One of the notable finds during Saturday’s cleanup was a polar bear costume in Ventura County, the Commission reported.

Data from past cleanups reveal that 60 to 80% of the debris on beaches and shorelines is made up of single-use disposable plastic items that originate on land, traveling through storm drains, creeks, or rivers to the sand and into the ocean.

The city of Laguna Beach is doing its part to minimize waste buildup at one of its prime beaches. It recently purchased 15 containers for recyclables — with help from a CalRecycle grant — to be placed at Main Beach in November.

Those who were unable to make it to the beach for the cleanup day can still participate in Coastweeks, a three-week celebration of coastal resources nationwide that includes activities such as habitat restorations and kayak tours. Coastweeks runs through Oct. 12.

Visit the Coastal Commission’s website at https://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/coastweeks for a list of events throughout California.

—Bryce Alderton

Twitter: @AldertonBryce