WHAT: Thousands of San Mateo County residents will convene at their local beaches, creeks, waterways, parks and neighborhoods to clear tons of trash and debris at the 33rd annual Coastal and Bay Cleanup Day, September 16, 2017. They will be joined by tens of thousands of people across the state, helping to make our communities cleaner and healthier for people and animals.

Residents wanting to participate should check out smchealth.org/ccd for a full list of more than 30 sites across San Mateo County. Families are encouraged to bring their children, as this family-friendly event is a great opportunity to learn about litter and how to prevent it from ending up in our local streets and waterways.

Participants are encouraged to carpool, bike or take public transit to their closest location and bring their own buckets, gloves and reusable water bottle to help reduce the event’s overall environmental footprint. On the day of the cleanup, check in at the site location sign-in table to receive direction from a volunteer coordinator.

Last year’s success was due to participation by 4,145 people who volunteered their time at cleanup events across San Mateo County. Volunteers collected 22,788 pounds of trash, including over 6,000 cigarette butts, and 3,882 pounds of recyclables. Statewide, over 59,000 volunteers removed over 710,000 pounds of trash and recyclables during last year’s event.

Since 2005, an estimated 347,206 pounds of debris has been removed from San Mateo County by the great work of volunteers during this annual event. San Mateo County Health System’s Environmental Health Services coordinates Coastal and Bay Cleanup Day with the California Coastal Commission, Ocean Conservancy, and many statewide and local partners.

WHEN: Saturday, September 16, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

WHERE: Over 30 locations across the county. Recommended media locations are Ryder Park in San Mateo, Linda Mar State Beach in Pacifica, and Mussel Rock Park Beach in Daly City. See smchealth.org/ccd for a full list of sites.