2020 Success Story

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 health orders, we collaborated with our county partners to make it easy for San Mateo residents to organize their own neighborhood cleanup effort in September. 

In all, 48 amazing volunteer leaders registered a cleanup in San Mateo and 29 of those groups tracked their litter collection in the Clean Swell app. Thanks to their hard work, we know that:

• 362.35 pounds of trash was collected and properly disposed of in landfills;
• Volunteer covered 7.79 miles of San Mateo to remove the trash, and;
• Cigarette butts were the most common item removed. 

Thank you to each of these volunteers. Your efforts to stay committed to a cleaner San Mateo inspire us. Kudos to every person who participated in 2020.

You don't have to wait until next September to help keep San Mateo clean, you can volunteer today for Adopt A Drain. 

We hope that our amazing volunteers will continue to take the initiative for cleaner neighborhoods, beaches, shorelines and boat ramp areas through the year. THANK YOU volunteers!

2019 Success Story

What an incredible turnout from the community. Just over 1,000 volunteers showed up to clean our shorelines at Ryder Park on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. To be precise, it was 1,003 volunteers who helped to remove 3,500 pounds of garbage from the natural habitat along San Francisco Bay. Volunteers also removed 20 pounds of recycling, all from about 1.5 miles of San Francisco Bay shoreline. Strangest Find win went to the team who recovered a fully intact kids play kitchen, not to mention a large ottoman and the top of a vacuum cleaner.

2018 Success Story

On Coastal Cleanup Day September 15, 2018, San Mateo volunteers collected 24 cubic yards of trash and debris from approximately 1.5 miles of shoreline, lagoon and creek. Close to 200 pounds of bottles and cans were collected for recycling. An astonishing eight pounds of cigarette butts – which equates to approximately 72,000 butts were also collected.  

All of it was removed from our sensitive shoreline wildlife habitat. 

California Coastal Cleanup

San Mateo’s Bayfront Cleanup is part of the California Coastal Cleanup. Find out more about the dangers of marine debris on its pages.