County Beach Cleanup Set for This Weekend

Sep. 15–Thousands of volunteers will collect tons of trash from San Luis Obispo County beaches Saturday during the 21st annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

Twenty-three Central Coast beaches from San Simeon to Point Sal will be cleaned up as part of the event, which lasts from 9 a.m. to noon.

This year, the event is coordinated by the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo. In past years, the state Department of Parks has coordinated the cleanup.

ECOSLO has identified two meet-up points where volunteers can gather. Volunteers on the North Coast should meet at the Cayucos pier and those in the South County should meet at the Pismo pier.

Anyone wishing to help clean up a specific beach should go there first and report to the on-site cleanup captain.

From there, volunteers will be directed to those beaches where they are most needed.

Volunteers are asked to bring their own trash bags and gloves as well as sunscreen, water and a hat, said Miranda Leonard, event coordinator.

Last year, 1,290 volunteers collected 14,857 pounds of trash and 2,784 pounds of recyclables in San Luis Obispo.

Cigarette butts topped the list of items collected. Cups, plastic bottles, lids and toys were also plentiful.

In addition to collecting trash, volunteers also weigh it and record its type.

That information is sent to the state Coastal Commission headquarters in San Francisco.

The annual Coastal Cleanup Day is a worldwide event. It also includes the shores of lakes and rivers. An estimated 80 percent of all the trash collected along the coast came from inland sources, Leonard said.

For more information, call ECOSLO at 544-1777 or visit www.ecoslo.org. The site also has a list of beaches to be cleaned up.

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