Join us for community events around the county, including the Great Islands Clean-up, regular beach cleans, workshops, and more.
Great Islands Clean-Up
Join us for the Fall 2023 Great Islands Clean-up!
Saturday, September 30th
Help keep our roads and beaches litter-free during this biannual, all-islands community event!
Orcas Island:
Pick-up bags, vests and grabbers starting Monday, September 25 at The Exchange or on September 30 at the Village Green starting at 10 am. Collected trash can be dropped off the day of the event between 2-3 pm at the Village Green. Participants can stop by Island Hoppin’ Brewery for a free pint starting at 4pm!
Questions: Pete Moe, [email protected] | 360-376-4089
Shaw Island:
Beach and roadside trash can be collected any time before the event, and delivered on the day of the GICU. Please bring collected roadside and beach trash to the dumpster at the baseball field between 3 – 4 pm on Saturday, September 30.
Questions or for help with large items: [email protected] | Text Jennifer W at 360-378-7948
San Juan Island:
Meet at 10am at Jackson Beach (Friday Harbor) to pick-up trash collection equipment and receive beach and roadway assignments. Coffee and goodies will be provided by Lautenbach Recycling to fuel your efforts (bring your own coffee cup, please)! Drop-off collected trash at the same location by 2 pm. There will also be fun activities happening from 10 am – 2 pm at Jackson Beach – i.e. an Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol (ETAP) training with Heather Trim from Zero Waste WA, nurdle/microplastic hunts, and t-shirt making with Alchemy Arts Center (bring a shirt!).
Questions: Katie Fleming, [email protected] | 360-762-5821
Lopez Island:
Lopez participants can pick up equipment at Lopez Village Park from 10 to 11 am. Enjoy coffee tea and fresh baked treats in the morning. Folks on the South End can collect vests and grabbers at the Southend Store. Drop off trash between 12 and 2 pm at Lopez Solid Waste, 2419 Fisherman Bay Rd. Follow signs to the drop off area. Join us for prizes, ice cream, free beer, and a party at Brewvado from 3-5 pm!
Questions: Wendy Blevins, [email protected]
The Great Islands Clean-up is a bi-annual event held every Spring and Fall, coordinated by the County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship Solid Waste Program in cooperation with Orcas Recycling Services, Lautenbach Recycling, Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District, San Juan Sanitation, Friends of the San Juans, the Stewardship Network of the San Juans, and many other individual, business and service group volunteers. It is funded with support from the WA Department of Ecology’s Community Litter Cleanup Program.
_______
Waivers for people who have not participated before:
Adopt a beach!
Join us for regular beach cleans around San Juan Island, or become a beach steward for your favorite beach around the County!
Do you have an event that fits our mission to make the Salish Sea Plastic Free? Get in touch and let us know?
What do you do with all that plastic you picked up on the beach? Make art of course!
Art work created from plastic and trash by the local Youth Conservation Corp teams and by community members during the 2018 Great Islands Cleanup on Lopez (Mermaid) and San Juan (Mandala) Islands.
