Press Release: This Earth Day, Restore Our Planet by Taking Action Locally

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9th, 2021

CONTACT: Marianne Butler, Solano County Cleanup Coordinator
E-MAIL: marianne.butler@solanorcd.org  TELEPHONE: (567) 674-5611

THIS EARTH DAY, RESTORE OUR PLANET BY TAKING ACTION LOCALLY
Solano County hosting week-long virtual event April 19 through 24


Solano County, CA – April 8, 2021: In honor of the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, organizers for the annual Solano County Earth Day Cleanup are hosting a week-long digital event April 19-24. Organizers will offer simple, sustainable solutions (or daily tips), and feature local community cleanup groups each day. The week will culminate in a self-directed volunteer trash cleanup on Saturday, April 24. These activities and how to get involved are described on the CleanupSolano website, cleanupsolano.org.

“We invite all of our Solano County neighbors to join us in this annual celebration of Earth Day by doing what helps restore our communities and the planet,” said Narcisa Untal, Senior Planner with the Solano County Department of Resource Management. “Every choice we make to live more sustainably and every piece of trash we remove contributes to a healthier Solano County and environment for everyone.”

More than 5,000 pounds of trash and recyclables are typically recovered by Solano County Earth Day Cleanup volunteers each year. Due to the ongoing pandemic, locally organized site cleanups were cancelled for the second year in a row. However, organizers know that the volunteer spirit remains strong across Solano County and that those who are committed to taking action will still do so through a local trash cleanup.

Volunteers who plan to celebrate Earth Day by picking up litter should wear safety gloves and follow Solano County’s public health guidelines for COVID-19. Organizers also encourage volunteers to download the Ocean Conservancy’s CleanSwell mobile app to record their trash collection data. According to the Ocean Conservancy, data recorded on CleanSwell is uploaded to a global database used by researchers and policy makers to inform trash management solutions, such as California’s plastic bag and straw bans.

Untal also encourages volunteers to collect clean beverage containers with the California Refund Value or CRV logo on them separately from regular trash. These containers can be taken to a participating CRV beverage container collection center that will buy back the cans and bottles for recycling. More information about the CRV program, including where to find a CRV recycling center, can be found at calrecycle.ca.gov.

CleanupSolano is Solano County’s official platform for promoting countywide community cleanups, including the Solano County Earth Day Cleanup (3rd Saturday of April), World Environment Day Cleanup (1st Saturday of June), and Solano County Coastal Cleanup Day (3rd Saturday of September). The cleanups are coordinated at the county level by Solano RCD on behalf of the Solano County Department of Resource Management and is funded through the CalRecycle Beverage Container City/County Payment Program.

Earth Day Cleanup events are traditionally coordinated at the local level by various partners, including the cities of Benicia, Vacaville, and Dixon; Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District; Vallejo Watershed Alliance; Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District; Solano County Parks and the Downtown Vacaville Alliance. Additional support for this annual event comes from Solano Volunteers with the Center for Volunteer and Non-Profit Leadership and the Sierra Club Solano Group. For more information, please visit cleanupsolano.org or email education@solanord.org.

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