Teeanage volunteers at Ledgewood Creek. Courtesy of Vanden Interact.Press Release (September 18, 2021)
Category: Cleanup Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marianne Butler, Solano County Coastal Cleanup Day Coordinator
Email:

1,500 Solano County residents pitch in to keep Solano clean for Coastal Cleanup Day

Solano County, CA: Communities and waterways throughout Solano County are cleaner today thanks to around 1,500 volunteers who spent their Saturday morning picking up litter, recyclable beverage containers, and illegally dumped debris on what’s known around the world as Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteers of all ages arrived at 9 in the morning donning masks and gloves while equipped with buckets and trash pickers to collect and count as much trash debris as possible, and to separate cans and bottles out from the debris to help keep recyclables out of the landfill. 

“This was such a great community event,” said Jennifer Kaiser, Public Information Officer for Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District. Kaiser coordinates around 20 Vallejo cleanup sites every year. “Even with the pandemic, Vallejo residents showed up to help their community. It is so gratifying to see people show how much they care.”

At least one cleanup site occurred in every Solano County city as well as at Lake Berryessa, along Putah Creek, and at several Solano County parks, for a total of 50 sites. More than 21,200 pounds of trash was removed, primarily from creeks and other city drainages across the County. Ultimately, nearly 500 pounds of cans and bottles were separated from the debris for recycling, something that is a priority for the cities and County of Solano.

“This Coastal Cleanup Day has shown us that despite the pandemic, the volunteer spirit is thriving here in Solano County and that people care deeply about the health of our community and the environment,” shared Narcisa Untal, Senior Planner for the Solano County Department of Resource Management. “It’s important that we continue to examine what waste we are generating every day and to make sure that we are disposing of it properly. That includes making sure CRV beverage containers are always making it into the recycling stream and not in the trash or our local waterways.”

Solano County shares a border with one of the biggest tributaries draining about 50 percent of California’s runoff water to the Pacific Ocean: the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Pollution from our cities flow into storm drains and other waterways before continuing to the Sacramento River, Suisun Marsh, Carquinez Strait or San Pablo Bay. From there, the water drains to the ocean. Cleaning upstream – our city streets and waterways – helps prevent garbage, single-use plastics, and recyclable cans and bottles from entering the ocean, protecting wildlife while also beautifying local communities.

Solano County’s Coastal Cleanup Day is part of an annual statewide event held the third Saturday of September each year. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, California Coastal Cleanup Day is regarded as the biggest, single day volunteer event on the planet. Residents who couldn’t make it to a Sept. 18 cleanup can still participate this month by collecting trash and recyclables in their own neighborhood and recording their findings on the CleanSwell mobile app. CleanSwell was created by the Ocean Conservancy and allows for data recording, pictures, and posting to social media while also contributing to a global database on trash pollution.

The event is made possible by the hard work of dozens of local residents, non-profits, and government agencies throughout Solano and the thousands of volunteers that attend each year. The Solano Resource Conservation District coordinates the annual Solano County Coastal Cleanup Day in partnership with Solano County, its cities and many local agencies with support from the CalRecycle Beverage Container Recycling Program. Sprouts Farmers Market of Vacaville and the Sierra Club Solano Group also sponsored this year’s event, contributing over 1,200 snacks for volunteers.

The next Solano County cleanup event will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2022 in honor of Earth Day. For a complete listing of Solano County community cleanups, please visit cleanupsolano.org.

# # #