Submitted by San Juan County.

Embark on a mission to protect our islands in the battle against plastics! Join your fellow islanders for the 2024 Spring Great Islands Clean-up on Saturday, April 20. Participants of all ages can register to clean up trash on a designated beach or road, then bring their collected items to a central meeting point to be counted.

Katie Fleming, Solid Waste Coordinator for San Juan County, draws attention to the urgent issue of plastics by aligning with the EARTHDAY.org message: Planet vs. Plastics. “In the face of the plastics crisis, every small action matters. Our collective efforts, with hundreds of volunteers, make a tangible difference by removing hundreds of pounds of plastic waste during this bi-annual event each spring and fall. Join us in making a positive impact on our environment!” said Fleming.

For specific details regarding clean-up locations on San Juan, Orcas, Shaw, and Lopez Islands, visit plasticfreesalishsea.org/events. Share your clean-up adventures on Facebook and Instagram using #GICU2024 or send them to katief@sanjuancountywa.gov.

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’s 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.