As the first-ever United Nations Ocean Conference is in full swing in New York, California’s leadership and action on ocean issues can inspire the world. Our brand has long been tied to the sun, sand and surf. We like to take care of what we love, which is why one day last September nearly 59,000 of us headed to the beach to pick up trash. Together, we removed 700,000 pounds of trash in a single day. As part of the global International Coastal Cleanup, our partner, the California Coastal Commission, rallied volunteers across the state for California Coastal Cleanup Day. They logged their finds — 18,879 straws, 13,361 plastic grocery bags and 188,003 cigarette butts — into the world’s largest citizen science database on marine debris, giving us a snapshot of the most persistent forms of trash found along California beaches and waterways.

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