An Epic Amount of CCD Trash

Despite scorching temperatures, Southlanders showed up in droves on Saturday to pick up nearly 20 tons of ocean-bound debris as part of Heal the Bay’s 23^rd annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

From Agoura Hills to Wilmington, 9,323 Angelenos worked together to protect what they love, scouring local beaches, inland waterways, regional parks and urban neighborhoods from 9 a.m. to noon.

 Heal the Bay’s efforts spanned 58 sites and 56 miles, mobilizing volunteers from local corporations, service groups, faith-based organizations, school clubs and youth sports teams who worked in tandem to gather and remove 38,598 pounds of debris. Cigarette butts, plastic bottles and caps, snack-food packaging, plastic bags and Styrofoam fragments were among the most frequently found items at cleanups.

 Among the unusual objects found at the September 15 cleanups: a dead rooster with its head cut off, likely a remnant of a voodoo or Santeria ritual (Santa Monica Beach); a dead cat found in a bag (Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park); a rifle barrel, later confiscated by police (Torrance Beach). And in the “Only in L.A.” file: a tattered headshot of an aspiring actor found by divers on the sea bottom near the Santa Monica Pier.

Read our news release for more details.

If you missed Coastal Cleanup Day, no worries! Heal the Bay hosts monthly cleanups, every third Saturday 10 a.m.-Noon. Learn more.

Still feeling left out? Donations fuel our cleanups. Just $20 can help run a cleanup site in your neighborhood. Donate now.