After the fireworks and celebrations fade, and the crowds go home, our beaches are left buried in trash. That’s why the 5th of July has the unfortunate title of the dirtiest beach day of the year. From plastic wrappers to firework casings, what’s left behind is more than just a mess – it's a threat to coastal ecosystems and to all who rely on clean water and healthy beaches.
From the border to the bay and beyond, California chapters stepped up to keep their coastal communities clean. This year, 1,246 volunteers showed up in force for 18 cleanups across the state to remove 3,323 pounds of trash from our beloved beaches.
Read on to see how chapters turned post-holiday pollution into a powerful moment of community action and coastal stewardship.
The San Diego County chapter, with the help of community partners like San Diego Coastkeeper, I Love a Clean San Diego, Paddle for Peace, and more, hosted the chapter’s 19th annual “Morning After Mess” which included nine cleanups between Oceanside and Imperial Beach that removed an incredible 2,617 pounds of trash.
South Orange County chapter volunteers braved the early morning to remove 55 pounds of trash from the beach around San Clemente Pier, including lots of fireworks debris and even an unexploded firework shell. The check-in tent was situated next to a popular walking trail, so many passerbys joined in on the community-led effort.
As holiday celebrations continued into the weekend, the Los Angeles chapter mobilized its volunteers on Sunday, the 6th, to prevent 147.5 pounds of trash from polluting the Santa Monica coastline. The volunteers worked as a cohesive group to sort and catalog the trash, the data of which supports ongoing plastic reduction policy efforts.
Ventura County chapter volunteers worked to combat plastic pollution and enhance coastal resilience through a combined beach cleanup and restoration event at the Port Hueneme dunes. They collectively removed two three-yard dumpsters full of invasive plant material and 57 pounds of trash from their new Climate Action Program restoration site.
The Monterey County chapter hosted a free beach yoga session before the cleanup, giving volunteers a moment to stretch before diving into the day's efforts of cleaning 133 pounds of trash from the shoreline. The peaceful start set the tone for a purposeful morning of community and care for the coast.
While the beach looked relatively clean, the Santa Cruz chapter's volunteers removed 108 lbs of mostly small debris – including 438 cigarette butts. As one of the most littered items on Santa Cruz County river ways and beaches, the chapter has been working to “Ban the Butt.” Learn more about their campaign here.
The Sonoma Coast and Humboldt chapters each had small but mighty teams of 15 volunteers that collected 65 and 60 pounds of trash from their respective beaches. Thanks to the San Francisco chapter, there is also 22 less pounds of trash, which included 630 cigarette butts, on Ocean Beach.
Thank you to the passionate volunteers, partners, and chapter teams who showed up after the celebration to do the dirty work of keeping our beaches clean.
Let's keep the momentum going and keep our beaches clean on the 5th of July and beyond. Find your local chapter and be part of the solution!
You can find the results of the Dirtiest Beach Day cleanups and more at our cleanups database.