San Rafael, CA – Trash is not only unsightly in our communities, it enters waterways, polluting the water and hurting the environment and wildlife. Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (MCSTOPPP) is partnering with local anti-litter coalitions, collectively referred to as Clean Marin, to put on the inaugural Trash Summit on Wednesday, November 1. The free event will be at the Marin Center Exhibit Hall, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Residents of Marin County have been generous with their time whenever there is a trash collection event.Much of the trash that accumulates in our creeks, wetlands, bays and ocean starts as the litter on our streets. When it rains, the trash on the streets goes straight into the storm drain and out to the bay, untreated. Statewide water quality regulations soon will require local governments to prevent trash from passing through parts of their storm drain systems to a waterway, and many local agencies are already working on reducing litter from a variety of sources.
The goal of the Trash Summit is to bolster partnerships between anti-litter volunteers and local government, empowering collaborative litter prevention and cleanup efforts. The Clean Marin groups – such as Clean Mill Valley, San Rafael Clean, Novato Streetscape Committee, All One Ocean, Marin Clean Highways, and others – have been working diligently to reduce trash in our communities. The Trash Summit will feature a panel of guest speakers highlighting the accomplishments of Clean Marin volunteer programs such as Adopt-a-Spot, Clean Business Programs, and other organized trash cleanup initiatives.
The speaker panel will include keynote speaker David Lewis of Save the Bay, as well as Marin County Supervisors Dennis Rodoni and Katie Rice, and staff from the offices of Supervisors Damon Connolly and Kate Sears. Key partners from Gallinas Watershed Council, Friends of Corte Madera Creek, Marin County Parks, Conservation Corps North Bay, Zero Waste Marin, Marin’s cities and towns, and other regional agencies are expected to attend.
“The event will provide valuable information and resources on how to join or start your own Clean Marin group,” said Rob Carson, Administrator of MCSTOPPP. “Long term, this is about inspiring all the people and groups to get involved in trash cleanup and work together to find solutions for our watershed. Most people don’t want to see trash in their community or in the creeks, and have ideas about how to improve the situation. We want to have that momentum turn into to action on a grassroots level.”
Visit the Eventbrite page to register. Contact Angela Clapp at MCSTOPPP with ideas or questions at aclapp@marincounty.org. To learn about the many ways to reduce pollutants in waterways, visit the MCSTOPPP website.
All public meetings and events sponsored or conducted by the County of Marin are held at accessible sites. If you are a person with a disability and require information or materials in alternative formats – or if you require accommodation to participate in a county program, service or activity – please contact department staff at least five days in advance of the event at (415) 473-7331 or (415) 473-4381 (voice/TTY) or e-mail disabilityaccess@marincounty.org.