Excessive waterfront trash impacts should ease with new cans in Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif - With the intense use of the waterfront since the COVID-19 outbreak, the City of Santa Barbara has responded with more trash cans to deal with the overflow amounts of left over garbage being reported.
Many people off work and looking for exercise have gone to the waterfront to get out, and travelers from out of the area, coming to the local coastline have created an large increase in trash.
Heal the Ocean Executive Director Hillary Hauser told NewsChannel 3 in April, "We have taken a big step backwards" based on the trash she has seen along with animal and human waste.
(Previous coverage: Trash issue controversial. )
Since then Heal the Ocean and others have contacted the Santa Barbara Environmental Services officials to get more cans out at busy sites.
The City went beyond that. Both trash and recycle cans were increased along with a contract with a cleanup service to pick up liter in the afternoons. Several "hot spots" were identified.
They have been placed from the Bird Refuge, East Beach area up to the Hope Ranch lookout above Hendry's Beach.
The City of Santa Barbara Environmental Services Outreach Coordinator Bryan Latchford says the newly launched plan to address the trash concerns includes:
- Identified specific hot spot areas along the waterfront ranging from the bird refuge to hope ranch overlook.
- Designed, printed, and installed (most are up already) 200+ signs along waterfront public containers in English + Spanish; see attached.
- Installing 44 more public containers in hot spot areas.
- Social media push (Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor, Citywide e-newsletter, Utility bill insert) to remind residents that it’s their responsibility to properly dispose of the trash they bring to the beach. If the container is full, placing items anywhere else is littering.
- Hired a contractor to do additional waterfront litter removal. For this weekend they are scheduled each day for a few hours in the afternoon to evening and more days beyond the holiday weekend.
For more information go to: Heal the Ocean
