Thousands of residents throughout Los Angeles County will roll up their sleeves on Saturday, Sept. 19, and pick up trash from beaches, rivers, parks, trails, neighborhoods and even underwater dive sites.
Saturday is international Coastal Cleanup Day, and for 37 years, Heal the Bay has coordinated this effort across Los Angeles County, in partnership with the California Coastal Commission and Ocean Conservancy.
“Together, we’ve built on the legacy of over 300,000 volunteers who have participated in Coastal Cleanup Day with Heal the Bay over the last 36 years, collectively removing more than 2 million pounds of debris from our environment,” Heal the Bay Coastal Cleanup Day Coordinator Jess Du Mont said in a written statement. “Those numbers represent more than just data points. They represent care in action, local pride and the belief that small acts, multiplied across communities, can create lasting change.”
Last year, nearly 7,000 people participated in the 2025 Coastal Cleanup Day, picking up trash at more than 70 locations across the county. Volunteers prevented more than 20,000 pounds of trash and recycling from polluting local waterways, according to the Heal the Bay’s “Coastal Cleanup Day 2025 Wrap-Up” book.
“Every Coastal Cleanup Day is a reminder of what’s possible when Californians show up for the places they love,” Eben Schwartz, a member of the California Coastal Commission, said in a written statement following the 2025 Coastal Cleanup Day. “From inland waterways to our outer coast, we all came together with a shared commitment to protect our shoreline and the communities that depend on it. This work is powered by collective action and by those who understand that small efforts, multiplied statewide, create waves of impact.”
The top five most common items, according to the data collected, were plastic pieces, foam, metal lids and caps, aluminum cans and medical waste. Plastic has overwhelmingly been the most common polluter, with more than 14,000 pieces collected during last year’s Coastal Cleanup Day.
Heal the Bay not only sees the day as important for cleaning up local waterways, but also for collecting data that can inform policy and action, according to the Coastal Cleanup Day 2026 campaign.
“The impact doesn’t end when the cleanup does,” the campaign says. “The information volunteers collect helps Heal the Bay identify pollution trends, strengthen environmental education and outreach, and inform policy and advocacy.
“We also share this data with organizations around the world to advance research and find better solutions to the pollution threatening our waterways,” the campaign adds. “Your cleanup becomes data. Your data becomes action. Your action helps protect our coast.”
Registration to participate in this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day is open and anyone can sign up to join volunteers at their local cleanup site. More information on the 2026 Coastal Cleanup Day – where the local cleanup sites are, what preparation is needed and how to register – can be found at healthebay.org/coastalcleanupday.