Coastal Cleanup Day

Volunteers Needed for Solano County’s Annual Coastal Cleanup Day

This year’s Coastal Cleanup Day will mark forty-two years of communities all over California coming together to protect their local ecosystems by picking up litter on beaches and throughout inland waterways. Solano County will host 34 sites from 9 am to 12 pm on Saturday, September 19th. Volunteers can join their neighbors at any of these sites to clean up garbage and recycle littered beverage containers to make a difference in the health and well-being of their neighborhoods, as well as lessen human impact on our smaller waterways and the ocean.

There will be at least one site in all seven cities and unincorporated Solano County. Locations are listed at cleanupsolano.org, and some sites require or encourage pre-registration. Volunteers should bring gloves, a water bottle, sun protection, trash pickers, and buckets for collecting garbage and recyclables. Some sites will have these supplies on-hand, but to make this a low-waste event, volunteers are encouraged to bring their own.

Eighty percent of garbage in our oceans comes from inland sources, so this effort aims to decrease the damage done when oceans are disrupted by litter. Site captains and volunteers will record the trash and recyclable beverage containers collected, contributing to a decades-long data set that has helped policymakers institute methods of preventing marine debris, such as the plastic bag ban.

Last year’s volunteers collected more than 21,827 pounds of trash and 903 pounds of recyclable beverage containers made from plastic, aluminum, and glass. Robyn Slater, the coordinator for Solano County’s cleanups and Education Coordinator at Solano Resource Conservation District, challenged Solano County residents to beat that in 2026: “We have 34 sites around the county, and our site captains are energized. The more volunteers that come out, the more litter and recyclables we can collect! I bet we can surpass last year’s totals if volunteers bring their friends and family out for the morning.”

This year’s cleanup also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Coastal Act, and volunteers will help carry forward its legacy of environmental protection. The California State Legislature passed the California Coastal Conservation Act on August 23, 1976, and according to the California Coastal Commission, it has allowed for generations of Californians to enjoy the “incomparable beauty, inspiration and joy of a healthy, vibrant coast.” The Coastal Act is responsible for preserving thousands of acres along California’s coast and ensuring public access to these areas through trails and accessways from the Oregon-to-Mexico borders.

Solano County’s Coastal Cleanup Day is coordinated by the Solano Resource Conservation District and funded by local wastewater agencies and the Cities and County of Solano. Visit the event website at cleanupsolano.org for a cleanup event location near you.