22 Sep Nearly 20,000 Volunteers Collect 178,000 Pounds of Trash for Coastal Cleanup Day

A volunteer holds a stuffed knit pickle holding a sign reading “Emotional Support Pickle. I will always be around to let you know that you are a BIG DILL!” The pickle was found during California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday along Santa Rosa Creek in Sonoma County and was named “Must Unusual” item found during the statewide event. (California Coastal Commission via Bay City News)

By Sarah Stierch
Bay City News

Thousands of volunteers flocked to the California coast and waterways on Saturday to participate in the 41st annual California Coastal Cleanup Day.

The event, which is largest single-day volunteer event in the world, according to Guinness World Records, invited volunteers across the state to pick up trash along coastal areas ranging from Lake Tahoe to the San Francisco Bay.

According to the California Coastal Commission, which leads the statewide effort, 19,987 volunteers picked up 178,296 pounds of trash and recyclables. These numbers are likely to increase, given only 40% of cleanup sites had reported final numbers as of Sunday.

Volunteers diligently tracked each item collected, with the data being examined by the Coastal Commission to better understand marine debris over time. Volunteers are asked to report their cleanup efforts at www.coastalcleanupday.org.

The Coastal Commission reports that approximately 75% of the waste collected by volunteers over the past 40 years is plastic.

Additionally, 80% of the trash collected originates on land before eventually making its way into waterways and draining out to the ocean.

Each year, volunteers are asked to pick up the most unusual items they can find and send a photo to the Coastal Commission with the chance to win a prize. This year, the winner was an “emotional support pickle” found in Santa Rosa Creek in Sonoma County.

The day was also branded as the world’s largest scavenger hunt. Volunteers found hidden treasure chests that could be redeemed for prizes ranging from San Francisco Giant tickets to luxury hotel stays in wine country.

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