Volunteers across coastal Alabama are being asked to donate a few hours to help protect the beaches, bays and waterways that draw millions of visitors each year during the 39th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup. This year’s cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, running from 8 a.m. to noon, and includes sites ranging from neighborhoods and local parks to streets and storm drains. Volunteers can visit the cleanup’s website to find a site and sign up.
The event marks the 39th year Alabama has taken part in the International Coastal Cleanup, a global initiative that began in 1987. Since then, more than 110,000 volunteers have helped collect trash from the state’s coastline and waterways. The cleanup is coordinated by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ State Lands Division, Coastal Section, along with Alabama People Against a Littered State (Alabama PALS).
Organizers note that litter left on land doesn’t always stay there — trash travels through storm drains, streams and rivers before eventually polluting Mobile Bay and the Gulf. Volunteers are encouraged to use the CleanSwell app, provided by Ocean Conservancy, to log what they collect during the event.
The cleanup has drawn strong sponsorship from local and regional organizations, including Coca-Cola United, the City of Orange Beach, the City of Gulf Shores, the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, NOAA, Alabama Power, Home Depot and Alfa Insurance. Flora-Bama and LuLu’s at Homeport are among the Gulf Coast venues supporting the annual event.