Source: Explore Ecology

Thank you, Santa Barbara! This year, you really cleaned up.

1,259 volunteers showed up for the 35th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 21st and picked up over 5,663 pounds of trash and over 674 pounds of recyclables for a total of 6,338.35 pounds or 3.169 tons. Altogether, they covered an estimated 58.25 miles at sites ranging from Rincon Beach Park to Guadalupe Dunes.

Some of the items found at Santa Barbara County sites include:

Plastic Pieces: 3,355 pieces of plastic

Cigarette Butts: 3,909

Foam: 1,902

Straws: 292

Plastic Bottle Caps: 634

Food Wrappers: 1,364

Plastic Beverage Bottles: 185

Plastic Bags: 303

Coastal Cleanup Day is part of a much larger international event. With 75% of California's cleanup sites reporting, the statewide count stands at 59,772 volunteers who 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.

