More than 955 volunteers cleaned 73 miles and removed some 5,041 pounds of litter on Saturday, Sept. 19, according to preliminary Santa Barbara County Coastal Cleanup Day data compiled by Explore Ecology.

Results were reported from 37 of the county’s 40 cleanup sites.

The top three items found during this year’s cleanup were:
• Cigarette butts
• Food wrappers
• Plastic pieces

The Painted Cave site had the most trash collected, with 1,500 pounds of trash and recyclables removed, Explore Ecology reports.

“Thank you so much to the site captains who led the sites, and to the volunteers who put in the work of picking up the trash,” said Veronica Lee, Coastal Cleanup Day coordinator for Explore Ecology.

“We are so impressed by how our community came together to protect the ocean and our local watersheds today,” she said.

In addition to everyday litter and plastic debris, volunteers uncovered several unusual items, including a machete, an American Airlines crew pin, a rocking chair, a plastic finger, a Labubu, a plastic Jesus figurine, 80 pounds of copper wire, a tiny plastic skull, a $10 bill, and a bow tie.

“Explore Ecology is grateful to every volunteer who participated, with special thanks to the dedicated site captains, including local youth leaders, who made today’s event run seamlessly across all sites,” the organization said.

Statewide Totals: Full local and statewide totals will be released in the coming days by Explore Ecology and the California Coastal Commission.

In Santa Barbara County, Coastal Cleanup Day is organized by Explore Ecology and the County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division, with support from the Cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Solvang. 

Explore Ecology works to empower the community to protect and preserve the planet with innovative education and nature-based learning. Programs include Environmental Education, Art From Scrap, and the School Gardens Program. For more, visit ExploreEcology.org.