Twenty people filled more than 19 bags of trash and recycling along our shoreline from Kappas Green to Commodore on Coastal Cleanup Day 2019. Among the unusual items found were goggles, a stinky cooler, a rusted bicycle, candles, and three license plates.
The group gathered approximately 175 pounds of trash. Sadly, we still found about 17 plastic straws (although they are banned in full-service restaurants in California). We picked up over 150 food wrappers and about 190 pieces of foam. The worst litter? More than 389 cigarette butts and—a new scurge—hundreds of vaping pods.
Residents from Commodore, Liberty, Issaquah, West Pier and Gate 6 ½ volunteered. Thanks to Meg Dixon, Bryan Kurtz, Amanda Hoehler and Jeff Carino, Terry Adams, Edo and Leslie Castro-Woodhouse, Laurie Fossier-Mills, Michelle Lawson, Amy Chramosta, Larry and Jane Clinton, Kats Hunter and Jon Sibaila, and Susie Woodrum. Also thanks to community friends Jody and Art, and Ruth Shelby, Rodger March, Elaine Sturtavant from The Redwoods.
With 75% of the cleanup sites reporting, the California Coastal Commission reported that 59,772 volunteers statewide picked up 469,100 pounds of trash and an additional 33,611 pounds of recyclable materials, for a total of 402,710 pounds or 251 tons.
Previous year’s post:
Styrofoam, Cigarette Butts, and Plastic: Coastal Cleanup Cleans Up