Volunteers Clean Up Local Beaches

Editor's note: This article was originally published Sept. 21. It has been updated since then.

Thousands of volunteers in Los Angeles County—including many in the South Bay—picked up 12 tons of trash at 50 cleanup sites throughout the county.

In Redondo Beach, volunteers on foot picked up debris south of the Redondo Beach Pier, as well as at Torrance Beach. Dive N Surf also organized an undersea cleanup south of the Redondo Beach Pier.

According to Heal the Bay, which coordinated the annual Coastal Cleanup Day in Los Angeles, volunteers cleaned more than 32 miles of local beaches, inland waterways, regional parks and neighborhoods. 

A 35-pound car battery at Abalone Cove in Rancho Palos Verdes and a chaise lounge at Cabrillo State Beach in San Pedro were two of a number of usual items found in the county, including a set of glow-in-the-dark vampire teeth, a urine sample cup, statues of the Hindu god Ganesha, a stereo speaker with a live octopus inside and a "No Swimming, Polluted Water" sign.

The 29th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day was presented by the California Coastal Commission, according to a news release. With only 70 percent of cleanup sites reporting, this year boasted more than 50,000 volunteers collecting 251 tons of trash and recyclables from across the state. 

"Thank you, Los Angeles, for achieving another safe and successful Coastal Cleanup Day,” said Eveline Bravo, Heal the Bay’s beach programs manager, in an official statement. "I am so grateful to the thousands of volunteers who came out to support the places they love, as volunteers make this entire event happen with their time and hard work."

"Coastal Cleanup Day is always an incredible celebration of our coastal and aquatic environments," said Coastal Commission Marine Debris Program Manager Eben Schwartz. "These tens of thousands of volunteers have proven once again what a treasure the California coast really is by showing their dedication to its protection and preservation."