Plastic and other forms of manufactured solid waste are a real problem for our waterways. More than just unsightly, marine debris creates problems for fish and wildlife. Through ingestion, strangulation, entrapment and injury, marine debris kills and injures thousands of animals every year. Due to the long life of these products, litter and debris will continue to harm the environment until someone comes along to clean up the mess. Puget Soundkeeper conducts multiple cleanup events every year, involving hundreds of volunteers from the community. Focusing on waterways and shorelines, volunteers clean beaches, paddle kayaks to find trash in hard to reach spots, and tow large debris safely to shore with larger boats.
Are you a community member looking to register for a Soundkeeper event? Check our calendar for upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Do you want Soundkeeper’s help organizing a cleanup in your community? Fill out the form below to get started.
Are you looking for a team-building experience or opportunities for your company to partner with Soundkeeper?
Want to plan ahead?
Mark your calendar for these annual events:
Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol
Not your ordinary cleanup! The Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol (ETAP) was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters program. It is a quantitative survey tool that provides a standard method for collecting and assessing litter data. Every year, Soundkeeper conducts an ETAP survey at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle. You can learn more here: EPA’s Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol. This year, our annual ETAP event will be at Golden Gardens on Saturday, May 16 2026. To get involved, visit our Events Page for information on how to register in April 2026.
July 5th Lake Union Cleanup
Volunteers participating in our annual Lake Union Cleanup on July 5th have collected 1000+ pounds of firework and other Fourth-of-July-related debris from Lake Union and the surrounding areas in the past few years. To participate in our cleanup in July 2026, stay tuned through our 5th of July cleanup event page — registration will open in April 2026!
International Coastal Cleanup
The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is a global annual cleanup project dedicated to cleaning up trash from our waters. Puget Soundkeeper acts as a regional coordinator helping to organize and support cleanup efforts throughout the Puget Sound area. At each cleanup, every piece of trash is cataloged and added to a “Global Trash Index”. In our region alone, hundreds of volunteers participate and collect thousands of pounds of debris.
To read the 2025 ICC report and to learn more about 2026 events, including dates, beach locations, and Beach Captain recruitment, please visit our ICC page. More information will be available this summer!