Heal the Bay and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors are the Los Angeles County coordinators for the state's Coastal Cleanup Day. We brought out over 8,500 volunteers to cleanup sites in 2000 in L.A. County. Coastal Cleanup Day, which is typically held on the third Saturday of September, involves individuals, schools, churches, community and company volunteer groups. Volunteers in Los Angeles County typically collect tens of thousands of pounds of trash and recyclables during a three-hour period.
Most people clean on foot, but there are also special cleanups for boaters, kayakers, and divers.
By far the most common item picked up are cigarette butts. Some of the more unusual items found in recent years were a chandelier, a briefcase full of graham crackers, and a bridal gown. Coastal Cleanup Day began in 1985, and has grown into a huge annual event. Every state with a coastline participates, including the Great Lakes states, and even some inland states clean river and lake shores. Coastal Cleanup Day for 2001 will be held on September 15th.