On July 5, the first of three cleanup events held by the L.A. Waterkeeper will take place across L.A., as part of a global movement to combat plastic pollution

July 5 is often deemed the “Trashiest Day of the Year” due to the amount of waste left behind after Fourth of July celebrations, according to the Los Angeles Waterkeeper. 

To combat the pollution, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, L.A. Waterkeeper will be spearheading a decentralized cleanup effort, encouraging Angelenos to help address the problem by removing plastic and other waste from their neighborhoods. Angelenos can register for the cleanup on the L.A. Waterkeeper website, and review a cleanup manual to get started.

L.A. Waterkeeper is a nonprofit organization that aims to prevent the pollution of the L.A. River and coastline. They will also be hosting a cleanup of Santa Monica Beach on July 11 and a cleanup of North Atwater Park on July 18. These events are part of a global, month-long effort to combat plastic pollution — Plastic Free July.

Plastic Free July is an organized campaign that shares resources and information to aid individuals and communities in reducing their everyday use of single-use plastic. It is the largest plastic waste avoidance campaign on the planet, according to The Plastic Free Foundation. The movement is not only about enjoying cleaner streets and oceans, but protecting the environment.

More than 170 million people in 190 countries, making up 16% of global consumers, have participated in the initiative led by The Plastic Free Foundation since 2011 according to their 2025 impact report. According to the Australia-based nonprofit, many people making small changes to their day-to-day habits can create a positive impact across communities worldwide. 

Participants of Plastic Free July reduced their household by 3.1%, and took 15% more action to reduce plastic waste compared to people not doing the challenge, according to their 2025 impact report.

With Plastic Free July, The Plastic Free Foundation aims to help community members develop environmentally conscious habits throughout the month, and to encourage them to continue taking action to protect their environment in the future.