Volunteer in Carlsbad for Coastal Cleanup Day 9/21

The City of Carlsbad is seeking volunteers for the 29th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, Saturday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at Tamarack State Beach.  

Cleanup volunteers not only pick up trash, they also collect data on types of trash and debris found. This data is used to educate the public, businesses, industries and government on pollution prevention. 

Volunteers are encouraged to sign up at www.cleanupday.org.  Click on the map to select the city-sponsored cleanup site at Tamarack Beach or any of the other registered sites.  A volunteer waiver form is available on the website or at the event.  All volunteers are required to sign the waiver, and participants under 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. 

Sponsored by I Love A Clean San Diego and part of the larger International Coastal Cleanup Day, the California Coastal Cleanup Day includes events at more than 80 locations throughout San Diego County, including several sites in Carlsbad.

"The City of Carlsbad's longtime sponsorship of this cleanup supports our efforts to responsibly manage our resources and to work in partnership with the community," said Vivi Mai, environmental specialist for the city.  “Beaches are central to the Carlsbad way of life."

Last year, Mai said the City of Carlsbad had 100 volunteers who cleaned up two miles of Tamarack State Beach and removed more than 300 pounds of trash and recyclables. Although many types of trash are found on the beach, Mai said the most common forms are cigarette butts, plastics and Styrofoam, which aren't biodegradable.  

Some of the trash and debris is left by beach-goers, Mai said, but trash from inland sites can also travel to the beach through the storm drain system. Rainwater and urban runoff transport pollutants into local creeks, lagoons and the ocean.

"The cleanup is a great way to not only enjoy our beaches, but also to do our part to keep them beautiful," she said.

 –City of Carlsbad