Region : Beach Cleanup Saturday

Hundreds of Westside residents are expected to participate in a massive cleanup of California beaches on Saturday.

Volunteers will collect trash at beaches from Malibu to Playa del Rey from 9 a.m. to noon and bring the material to a special recycling center at the Santa Monica Pier. Most of the material collected will be recycled.

Environmental groups and community service organizations are participating in the sixth annual Coastal Clean-Up Day, part of a three-week celebration of the nation’s coastline.

Data on the debris will be recorded and analyzed as part of an annual survey of beach litter. Last year, more than 10,000 volunteers collected in excess of 200,000 pounds of trash and debris from California beaches. In Los Angeles County, plastics accounted for 68% of the material collected.

Catherine Tyrrell, director of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project, said beach debris is “harming coastal ecosystems and killing and maiming marine mammals and birds,” who ingest toxics and become entangled in plastic debris. “Along with the threats posed to wildlife, beach-goers are at risk from broken glass, sharp metal cans and other hazardous materials,” she said.

Anyone interested in assisting in the cleanup effort at Los Angeles County beaches can call (213) 546-8856 for more information.