Coastal Cleanup Day Volunteers Take Laguna Beach's Garbage Out

Katie Williams, 13, held up a water-soaked old sock covered with sand. The sock was among the many pieces of trash that she and her friend Colette Hammett removed from the sands of Laguna Beach on Coastal Cleanup Day Saturday.

CLICK THE BOX ON THE RIGHT TO SEE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT --->

CCD is an annual event. In 2010, more than 80,000 volunteers picked up approximately 1 million pounds of trash in California alone.

According to the California Coastal Commission's website, "This debris, if not removed, can be harmful and even fatal to all manners of marine wildlife, can damage our state's economy, and can even become a human health hazard."

"How much the beach is polluted ... it just shocks you," said Williams. "Just to get out and clean up helps all the oceans and all the animals. We'll have more fish to eat and the whole life cycle won't just die. There's more pollution in the water than there is plankton."

"I'm here to help clean up the beach," said Hammett. "I’m trying to help out one step at a time. Doing this makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something. You definitely feel like it’s worth your time because you’re helping other people and the animals in the ocean."

Both girls picked up enough trash to fill two buckets on Saturday. They were helped by Mai Huynh and Natalie Allen.

"We’re very lucky," said Huynh. "We live in a wonderful community. Laguna Beach gets together and pulls together. We live in a town where a lot of people come and visit us, so we want to take care of where we live. I’m so proud of the girls for doing this."

"I want to give back to the community," said Allen. "I think it’s really important. We do try to clean up the beach every day that we’re down here, not just this weekend."

Lake Forest Girl Scout Troop 1412 volunteered at Laguna Beach early Saturday morning. Adult volunteer Renee Ippoliti accompanied the girls. 

"I think this is terrific," said Ippoliti. "This is fun to do and the girls have a great time doing it. They found some very crazy things on the beach. They really can see first-hand what this does. You don’t realize how much [garbage] is out there until you’re [cleaning it up.]"

Near the playground at Laguna's , a trash weighing and collecting station was situated. Volunteers handed out leaflets and discussed the event with passersby.

One of those volunteers was 40-year Laguna Beach resident Roger Butow, Founder and Executive Director of Clean Water Now!

"We were tired of swimming and surfing in garbage and trash and ." Butow said. "We knew that no one was doing beach cleanup programs. So around 2000, we realized we wanted to do something positive that kept us in touch with the community ... a group that was sensitive and active."

"Now," Butow continued, "Clean Water Now is the sole designated representative for the Coastal Commission for beach clean-ups in Laguna Beach. We’re lovin’ it."

Butow explained that there are about 30 states and almost 100 countries taking part in Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteers in landlocked and inland areas clean up creeks, rivers and lakes.

"Everybody figured out that it winds up at the ocean. Trash from inland cities gets coated with all kinds of pollutants and contaminants, a lot of which are carcinogenic. It gets down to the ocean and rolls around, then the ocean agitates the trash and releases all that stuff back into the environment. So you’re not just talking about trash, but all the things that are acquired on it along the way."

According to Butow, volunteers in Laguna Beach spent Saturday cleaning up Crescent Bay, Shaw’s Cove, Main Beach, Treasure Island at the Montage Resort and Aliso Beach.  

"We have divers at all of those places, too." said Butow. "We want to make sure we get stuff that’s underneath the surface that’s been thrown off boats. This cleanup is unique because we have an underwater diving element."

The California Coastal Commission County of Orange staff reported that 250 volunteers participated on Saturday. They collected 950 pounds of regular trash and 410 pounds of recyclable trash.