Ocean Conservancy’s Flagship International Coastal Cleanup Event Highlighted Need to “Protect Where We Play”
LONG BEACH – Today, more than 150, including members of Team USA Artistic Swimming, the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Alumni Association of Southern California, and the Mayor’s Office, collected 1,109 pounds of trash from Alamitos Beach as part of Ocean Conservancy’s flagship International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC) event.
Held annually every September and known in California as Coastal Cleanup Day, the ICC is the largest volunteer beach and waterway cleanup effort in the world, with thousands of cleanups happening in more than 100 countries. Since 1986, nearly 20 million volunteers have joined local cleanup efforts to remove over 400 million pounds of trash.
“California Coastal Cleanup Day is a force to be reckoned with and we are thrilled for their partnership with the International Coastal Cleanup,” said Allison Schutes, senior director of conservation cleanups at Ocean Conservancy. “Science has shown time and time again how valuable cleanups are for our ocean and all the wildlife that call it home, and everyone cleaning up today made a difference.”
Scientists estimate that every year, more than 11 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the ocean, and according to a recent Ocean Conservancy-led study, even small amounts of plastic pollution can be deadly to marine life when ingested. This year for the first time, volunteers using the organization’s Clean Swell trash monitoring app were able to immediately estimate the impact of their efforts through the newly integrated Wildlife Impact Calculator.
The Alamitos Beach event had special significance as part of Ocean Conservancy’s Protect Where We Play initiative, which leverages the reach of athletes, artists and major events to mobilize millions of fans in support of ocean conservation. Alamitos Beach is one of the locations to feature Olympic and Paralympic competitions in 2028, and Team USA Artistic Swimming is an official Protect Where We Play partner. Other partner teams include the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and the United States SailGP Team. Team Ocean Captains include the NBA’s Napheesa Collier, NFL’s Kelvin Beachum, MLB’s Brent Suter, Paralympian Ezra Frech, American ballerina Katherine Barkman, actor John Slattery, and others.
“Los Angeles 2028 may still be two years away, but the opportunity to make a positive impact on the host community starts now,” said Adam Andrasko, CEO of USA Artistic Swimming, who also provided remarks at the event. “Working alongside Ocean Conservancy through Protect Where We Play gives our athletes and members a meaningful way to put our values into action, care for the places that bring us together and leave a lasting legacy beyond the competition.”
“It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that I love the water,” said Anita Alverez, silver medalist from USA Artistic Swimming and a Team Ocean Captain. “Like so many swimmers, the ocean has played a huge role in my life. I’m proud to support this important work as I continue training toward LA 2028.”
“Long Beach’s beaches and waterways are central to who we are as a city and to our role in the 2028 Games,” said City of Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. “This California Coastal Cleanup Day, we leveled up the excitement for the upcoming Games by bringing our community and partners together to help care for the shoreline we all cherish and ensure the legacy of the Games extends far beyond the field of play.”
“In just under two years, the Long Beach Zone will transform into an incredible hub for Olympic and Paralympic competition,” said LA28 Chief of Sport and Games Delivery Shana Ferguson. “Today’s event at Alamitos Beach, the future home of Beach Volleyball and Blind Football, highlights LA28’s commitment to delivering meaningful impact across the LA region well before the Games begin through community volunteerism and investing early and locally through initiatives like our Resilience Champions Fund to support building a lasting legacy of community resilience and environmental stewardship.”
The event opened with breakfast and a brief speaking program, including remarks from Vice President of Ocean Conservancy’s Ending Ocean Plastics program Nicholas Mallos, two-time Olympian and president of the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Alumni Association John Moffett and others. Volunteers then began collecting trash and wrapped the event with lunch.
While the majority of trash collected consisted of the usual single-use items like plastic beverage bottles, cigarette butts, and bottle caps, volunteers also turned up more unusual finds like pillows, bubble wrap and more.
“There’s no better place to be celebrating both the ocean and the power of sports and entertainment for good,” said Janis Searles Jones, Ocean Conservancy’s chief executive officer, who offered remarks. “We are excited to have made a tangible impact on the beach while spreading awareness of just how important the ocean is to the places and activities that bring us joy.”
ABOUT PROTECT WHERE WE PLAY
Protect Where We Play (PWWP) is an Ocean Conservancy initiative uniting sports and entertainment industries to protect the ocean by leveraging athletes, artists, teams, events and venues to mobilize millions of fans worldwide. Together, we combat climate change and preserve the future of sports, entertainment and all the places we play and find joy. www.protectwhereweplay.com #protectwhereweplay
ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY
For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram.
Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup® supporters help this important work come to life. They include Hard Rock International, Warner Brothers Discovery, Bank of America, Pacific Life Foundation, KPMG LLP and Xtratuf. In addition, Hydro Flask supports cleanups through our Protect Where We Play initiative.
The International Coastal Cleanup media kit with photos, b-roll and data can be found HERE.
You can find toplines from the 2025 ICC data HERE.
You can find the full 2025 ICC report HERE.
