Press Release (September 2023)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Marianne Butler, Solano Resource Conservation District
EMAIL:
TEL: Office: (707) 678-1655 x 114 Cell: (567) 674-5611

Volunteers sought for annual Solano County Coastal Cleanup Day events

Solano County, CA – Solano County and its cities have partnered, again, with Solano Resource Conservation District to serve as the countywide coordinator for the 39th California Coastal Cleanup Day. Supporting agencies throughout Solano County are hosting more than 60 cleanup sites for this event that takes place on Saturday, September 23 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. More than 2,500 local Solano volunteers participate in the countywide Coastal Cleanup Day events every year by converging at creeks, parks, open spaces, city trails and trash hot spots to remove thousands of plastic cigarette filters and thousands of pounds of plastic bottles, single use food containers and wrappers, grocery bags, and more.

“Coastal Cleanup Day is now more than just a cleanup event in Solano County. It has become a public stewardship day bringing together local businesses, neighbors, school groups, and faith communities to be a part of our growing movement to keep our land and waterways clean from Solano to the sea”, said Narcisa Untal, with the Solano County with the Department of Resource Management.

Solano County Cleanup organizers are committed to eliminating the waste created by the cleanup itself. They ask volunteers to bring reusable cleanup supplies, such as work gloves, a water bottle, or a bucket to help ensure their work sites generate no trash of their own. Each site will be well-stocked with the necessary supplies for the folks for whom that's not possible.

Appreciation goes out to the Genentech Vacaville Green Genes Team who has provided thousands of buckets over the years to support this event. Emma Mendiola, the Vacaville Green Genes lead, has been a site coordinator in Vacaville for decades. She said she is “pleased and proud to have led the Vacaville Green Genes Team in fulfilling Genentech's commitment to the environment and the community and will continue to remain dedicated to this mission."

Solano County shares a border with one of the biggest tributaries draining over 40 percent of California’s runoff water to the Pacific Ocean: the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Trash and chemical 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. 80% of plastic in our oceans comes from our cities. Cleaning upstream – our city streets and creeks – helps prevent trash from where it starts, protecting birds and other marine animals, keeping our food chains protected while also beautifying local communities.

The Solano Resource Conservation District coordinates the annual Solano County Coastal Cleanup Day in partnership with Solano County, its cities and many local agencies. These local events are part of a larger statewide event consisting of more than 1,000 sites throughout California. This event is the state’s largest annual volunteer and data collection event. For a complete listing of Solano County partners and community cleanups, visit cleanupsolano.org.

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