West Coast coastal cleanup initiatives

Environmental organizations and community groups across the West Coast of the United States are conducting coastal and waterway cleanup initiatives.

In California, efforts include the 21st Annual Creeks to Coast Cleanup in San Luis Obispo County, covering locations such as Oso Flaco Lake and Morro Bay, as well as the 42nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day at Upper Newport Bay in Orange County. These events focus on removing debris from waterways and protecting coastal wetlands.

In the Pacific Northwest, volunteers in West Seattle participated in the Puget Soundkeeper annual Sound Sweep Series at Alki Beach and Myrtle Edwards Park, removing various materials and recording data for environmental legislation. Additionally, in Oregon, the Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS, in partnership with SOLVE, scheduled a fall beach cleanup to restore the coastline from Cape Lookout State Park to Cape Meares.

On September 19, 2026, large-scale efforts continued as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day. In California, the 42nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day involved an expected 50,000 volunteers across more than 700 sites. In Los Angeles County, Heal the Bay organized efforts at over 60 sites, including Venice and Santa Monica, in partnership with the California Coastal Commission and Ocean Conservancy to mitigate pollution affecting ocean ecosystems.

In Canada, the Surfrider University of Victoria club hosted a cleanup at Clover Point. Volunteers collected, sorted, and weighed debris such as soft plastics and nurdles to provide data intended to inform federal and provincial plastic pollution policies, with a specific focus on cigarette butts, which the National Ocean Service identifies as the most common form of marine litter.