Save Our Shores to Host Annual Coastal Cleanup
On Saturday, September 20, 2025, Save Our Shores will lead its Annual Coastal Cleanup Day from 9 a.m. to noon, uniting volunteers across Santa Cruz County to remove litter from beaches, waterways, and parks. With 50 to 70 cleanup sites coordinated across the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the event is one of the largest community-driven environmental efforts in the region.
Trash and pollution threaten the health of marine and coastal ecosystems, from cigarette butts and plastic fragments that endanger wildlife to larger debris that mars the beauty and safety of public spaces. This is why Save Our Shores’ work goes beyond a single day of cleanup—it’s about building a culture of care for the environment we all depend on.
One powerful example is the coalition effort to end the sale of filtered tobacco products, the number one item found during beach cleanups. In October 2024, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance banning the retail sale of filtered tobacco products in unincorporated parts of the county. Known as “Ban the Butt,” this ordinance made Santa Cruz the only county in the nation to prohibit the sale of filtered cigarettes—a pivotal step for our beaches, water quality, and marine life safety.
But the work is not over. Save Our Shores and its partners are pushing for similar ordinances in Capitola, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville. With a recent win in the City of Santa Cruz, momentum is building, but community support remains essential.
For Santa Cruz’s entrepreneurial community, this fight is deeply connected to economic vitality. Clean, healthy environments attract talent, inspire innovation, and sustain industries such as tourism, outdoor recreation, and climate-tech startups. Entrepreneurs thrive in a place where quality of life and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.
By volunteering at Coastal Cleanup Day or supporting initiatives like “Ban the Butt,” residents and businesses alike are investing in a sustainable future—one where both ecosystems and enterprises flourish.
Save Our Shores invites everyone to take part in this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day and join the broader movement to protect Monterey Bay for generations to come.
