Firework debris is pictured near Seaview following Fourth of July festivities in 2021.

LONG BEACH PENINSULA — The peninsula’s longstanding beach cleanup group is seeking volunteers to assist with the aftermath of Independence Day weekend.

The Grassroots Garbage Gang will be holding their annual beach cleanup beginning at 9 a.m. on July 5 along any of the peninsula’s primary beach approaches.

Growing impact

The impact of the volunteer-led cleanup group has grown over the years, starting with 12 volunteers and 840 pounds gathered during an event in 2002 to more than 1,000 participants and 19 tons removed on July 5, 2013. Over the past 10 years, the group has averaged around 500 participants during their cleanups following the July 4 holiday, their most prominent event.

“The estimate is that at least 500 people participate in the beach cleanups and the group sees the entire community as being members,” said Dianne Fuller, a member for the past seven years.

Since 2017, Grassroots Garbage Gang has removed an average of roughly 30 tons of trash and debris from local beaches on July 5. To date, the group has been responsible removing more than 380 tons combined since the early 2000s.

“The beach cleanups have been going on since 2001,” Fuller said. “Over the years the goal has been to help keep the beach a cleaner place and save our environment.”

The day after July 4 has always been a focal point for cleanup efforts, Fuller said, “because of all the destruction and mess left by the event.”

“We’ve mobilized people in the community and visitors to go sign in at any of the major beach approaches, hand out bags and get people out there cleaning up,” she added.

The beach cleanup group has adopted more proactive measures in recent years.

“The problem is the fireworks go off and the tide comes in and washes a huge amount into the ocean,” Fuller said.

“For the last couple years, in addition to handing out bags for cleanup, we staff the beach approaches and give people bags as they’re coming in. That has actually really reduced the amount of trash.”

Adopt-A-Beach

While the group is always seeking more individual volunteers to help with the annual designated cleanups, they are also hoping to establish dedicated groups to informally ‘adopt-a-beach’ to maintain more consistent impact.

“We clean up not only on the 5th [of July]. Many people have adopted individual beaches and go back every week or a couple times a month or so,” Fuller said.

Grassroots Garbage Gang encourages small groups of four or more people, which could include friends, families, neighborhoods, service groups and businesses, to informally adopt a section of the beach to clean each quarter.

Those interested in joining to assist in the cleanup can reach out to join@ourbeach.org, or simply attend the cleanups on the designated dates.