On September 15, 2018, over 35,558 lbs of trash was collected from California beaches in honor of Coastal Cleanup Day – that’s about the weight of three adult killer whales! The California Coastal Commission hosts a Coastal Cleanup Day event every year to help clean up different beaches across California. This year’s event attracted over 12,560 volunteers. Grades of Green students and supporters joined in on the action at Dockweiler Beach organized by our friends at Heal the Bay.
Grades of Green volunteers mobilized and spent the morning filling up buckets with trash found at the beach. The usual suspects – cigarette butts, plastic straws, and food wrappers – were all tallied up and collected by volunteers. Similarly, polystyrene pieces, the tiny culprits from foam cups and containers, were found all along the shores of our beautiful beaches. Although it was disheartening to find so much trash in our beaches, we are grateful that so many Grades of Green and other volunteers were inspired to come out and help restore 54 miles of beaches to their natural beauty. Here’s what volunteers at the Dockweiler site location accomplished:
Grades of Green volunteers were thanked for their hard work with reusable bottles that were donated by Klean Kanteen.
Are you interested in taking a stand against waste? Email info@gradesofgreen.org for more information on how you can join our Waste Campaign, a global competition to research local waste issues, develop solutions, and share the solution with your community! The Waste Campaign will kick off January 2019. Email us today to save your spot!