Join us for community events around the county, including the Great Islands Clean-up, regular beach cleans, workshops, and more.
Join us for the Fall 2024 Great Islands Clean-up!
Saturday, September 21st (22nd on Shaw Island)
Help keep our roads and beaches litter and plastic-free during this San Juan County-wide community event!
The Great Islands Clean-up, organized bi-annually every Spring and Fall, is a collaborative effort led by the County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship Solid Waste Program in partnership 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 numerous individual, business, and service group volunteers. The event is made possible through funding from the WA Department of Ecology’s Community Litter Cleanup Program.
San Juan Island:
Meet at 10 a.m. at Jackson Beach in 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 p.m.
There will also be a special nurdle/microplastic hunt happening at the beach!
More info: Katie Johnson | katiej@sanjuancountywa.gov
Lopez Island:
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — Sign in, pick your route, and pick up supplies in Lopez Village Park. Coffee and light snacks will be provided. Some supplies will also be available for pick-up at Southend Market.
12 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Drop off collected litter at the Lopez Dump, following signs to designated GICU drop-off area.
More info: Sarah Reeves | sarahr@lopezsolidwaste.org
Orcas Island:
Pick-up bags, vests and grabbers starting Monday, September 16th at The Exchange or on the day of the event (9/21) at the Village Green starting at 10 a.m.
Collected trash can be dropped off the day of the event between 2-3 p.m. at the Village Green.
Participants can stop by Island Hoppin’ Brewery for a free pint starting at 4 p.m.!
More info: Pete Moe | pete@exchangeorcas.org | 360-376-4089
Shaw Island:
Drop off collected beach and roadside trash at the Shaw baseball field on Sunday, September 22 from 2 – 3 p.m.
Call or text for help with big items, for garbage bags, or small bags for collecting microplastics.
More info: Jennifer Woodbridge | outsidelanguage1@gmail.com | 360-378-7948
Over 2 Tons of Litter Collected During the Spring 2024 Great Islands Clean-up!
In a powerful demonstration of unity and environmental responsibility, 282 dedicated volunteers banded together on April 20 for the Spring Great Islands Clean-up spanning Orcas, San Juan, Shaw, Lopez, Stuart, Decatur, Waldron, and Yellow Islands. Their collaborative efforts resulted in the impressive removal of 4,679 pounds of litter from 272 miles of island roads and beaches. Amazing!
Look at your impact over time. In the past three years, we have collectively gathered 18,337 pounds of plastic and debris removed from local beaches, roadways and environments. Way to go! Thank you so much for all your hard work.
Join your fellow islanders for the 2024 Spring Great Islands Clean-up on Saturday, April 20!
This year, we rally behind the EARTHDAY.org theme Planet vs. Plastics!
Check out the information below for island-specific details.
Orcas:
Pick-up bags, vests and grabbers starting Mon, April 15 at The Exchange or on 4/20 at the Village Green in Eastsound starting at 10 a.m.
Collected trash can be dropped off the day of the event between 2 -3 p.m. at the Village Green.
Participants can stop by Island Hoppin’ Brewery for a free pint starting at 4 p.m.!
Contact Pete Moe for more info. pete@exchangeorcas.org | 360-376-4089
San Juan:
Meet at 10 a.m. at the San Juan Island Brewing Co. parking lot (410 A St., Friday Harbor) on April 20 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 your collected trash at the same location by 2 p.m.
- After-party at San Juan Island Brewing Co., including:
- Beer garden music by Adrian Xavier & Ska Island,
- Mediterranean fare along with some grab and go items and baked goods available for purchase by Green Beat Kitchen,
- $1 beers for clean-up participants,
- T-shirt printing with Alchemy Art Center (bring a shirt to reuse!),
- A raffle, and
- The presentation of the Stewardship Network’s Good Steward Awards.
The Adrian Xavier & Ska Island experience is an exhilarating new collaboration between Seattle’s “Crown Prince of Reggae” and the mighty Ska Island band, a Skatalites tribute band formed by several recent ex-members of Bellingham’s legendary Yogoman Burning Band. The electrifying band backs up Adrian with powerful renditions of his original conscious reggae fusion music, while sprinkling in vintage Jamaican ska from the 60’s and 70’s.
Contact Katie Fleming for more info. katief@sanjuancountywa.gov |360-762-5821
Shaw:
Drop-off collected trash on April 20 from 3-4 p.m. at the Shaw baseball field.
Call ahead for help with large or difficult-to-reach items, if you need ideas about where to look for trash, or if you need bags or gloves.
Contact Jennifer Woodbridge l outsidelanguage1@gmail.com | 360-378-7948 (call or text only, no voicemail)
Lopez Island:
Come to Lopez Village Park between 10 and 11 a.m. to pick up bags, vests, and grabbers. Coffee, tea, and fresh baked treats will be provided.
Participants on the south end can collect vests and grabbers at the Southend Store.
Drop off your collected trash between 12 and 2 p.m. at Lopez Solid Waste (2419 Fisherman Bay Rd.), follow signs to drop area.
Contact Sarah Reeves | sarahr@lopezsolidwaste.org
Boaters Around the Islands:
If you plan to be cruising in the San Juan Islands on April 20th, you can participate in the GICU! Select a beach with public access near where you moor and pick-up trash. Please provide your own trash bag and gloves. If you are returning to Friday Harbor Marina, you can place your beach trash in the Marina trash compactor or recycle bins. If returning elsewhere, please dispose of your beach trash responsibly.
Fall 2023 Great Islands Clean-up Results
With the dedication of 164 volunteers, we successfully collected a whopping 1,871 pounds of litter from 50 miles of our island’s roads and beaches on Orcas, Shaw, Lopez, and San Juan!
We are so grateful for the amazing community effort that’s helped us keep our islands litter and plastic free by the sea!
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, the Port of Friday Harbor, 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.
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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.
