Celebrate Our Bay, Creeks and Wetlands on Coastal Cleanup Day, September 15

Volunteer for a Local Event and Help Protect Creeks & the Bay

To find an event near you, visit our Volunteer page.

Over the past year we've seen unprecented media and social media coverage of the problems caused by trash in our oceans. Most marine litter begins on land, and Coastal Cleanup Day offers a chance to act locally to help solve a global problem. The 34th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day offers a chance to be a part of the solution—and to celebrate the beauty of our creeks, wetlands and the Bay! Join tens of thousands of participants throughout California on September 15 and help remove trash from California’s beaches and inland waterways.

Click here for a list of Coastal Cleanup Day events in Alameda County. Additional volunteer opportunities can be found on the statewide event map compiled by the California Coastal Commission.
Collecting litter on land, even far from waterways, is critical to helping prevent ocean pollution. That's because the vast majority of debris found in the ocean—up to 80%—originates inland, where it is carried by rainwater, street runoff and wind into the storm drain system. From there litter travels into creeks, the Bay and the ocean, as stormwater generally does not pass through a water treatment plant. Litter—and especially plastic debris—poses a hazard to marine wildlife, entangling and poisoning animals that mistake the items for food.

The Clean Water Program encourages citizens to stop litter by:

• Placing trash in garbage cans or recycling containers - always.
•  Buying reusable instead of disposable products and choosing products with less packaging.
• Volunteering for the Coastal Cleanup Day - and letting your friends know about it, too!

To learn more about the impact of litter and everyday actions to prevent it, visit www.cleanwaterprogram.org/residents/litter-prevention.html.