Gulf Coast prepares for Saturday’s 37th annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup

GULF SHORES, Ala. ( WKRG ) — Thousands of volunteers across Alabama will head to the coastlines for the 37th annual coastal cleanup on Saturday morning.

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Since the program started, they've removed almost 1.8 million pounds of trash from Alabama's coastlines.

The coastal cleanup isn't just about picking up trash on the beach. It's also focused on pollution prevention. The goal is to keep all the trash out of the water before it can get there.

"If people would just pack it in, pack it out and take it with them, we wouldn't need a coastal cleanup," Share the Beach official Chandra Wright said. "And so we just ask people to kind of leave only footprints when they're visiting our beaches."

In 2023, 2,370 volunteers cleaned up more than 22,000 pounds of debris. Officials said they're expecting an even larger turnout this year.

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This year there will be five different cleanup check-in zones in Gulf Shores.

The event runs from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., and there's no need to pre-register. Volunteers can participate in zones located throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties. Each zone will provide volunteers with trash grabbers, large trash bags, recycling bags, gloves and other cleanup supplies.