Surfrider Foundation South Vancouver Island
Beach Cleanups
About:
Beach cleanups are a fun and exciting way of getting volunteers and community members out to local beaches and participating in a meaningful activity. All the debris is sorted, recycled and disposed of properly by our amazing partners at Atlas Junk Removal.
Since its inception, Surfrider South Vancouver Island has been holding monthly beach cleanups at different locations around the South Island. In 2025, SVI volunteers cleaned over 16 km of shoreline, collecting 1052.1kg of debris including over 4,000 cigarette butts and 155.5 gallons of harmful polystyrene.
attending a cleanup? here’s what you need to know:
We have a limited amount of reusable gloves, buckets, and bags for volunteers to use on a first come, first served basis. We always encourage you to bring your own if you have!
We clean rain or shine, so please dress for the weather!
With the help of our fabulous partners, we usually have coffee/hot chocolate and snacks provided. Please bring your own mug if you’d like to enjoy!
Avoid the line and help us get started on time by signing the waiver here ahead of time.
Along with gathering the waste on a beach, the collected amount is measured and recorded. Through using a shoreline survey method developed by Surfrider Foundation Canada and Ocean Legacy as part of the Clean Coast Clean Waters initiative, Surfrider SVI is developing a valuable data set that can help identify some of the main types of pollution found on local beaches. This information is shared with stakeholders, and is helpful when developing other campaigns and programs focused at pollution reduction.
Through a strong and consistent beach cleanup and data collection effort, our chapter hopes to develop a robust data-set that helps inform people about the types of marine debris and garbage found on local Vancouver Island beaches, while simultaneously cleaning them up. With this data, our chapter can approach local businesses, industry and decision-makers and find ways to reduce the use and consumption of products that find their way to our coastline.
-
The protection and enjoyment of Vancouver Island waves and beaches through beach cleanup, waste analysis and data collection action has been one of Surfrider South Vancouver Island’s guiding principles since the beginning.
Since the beginning, the South Vancouver Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has been holding monthly beach cleanups at different locations around the south island. A large amount of debris is typically hauled off the shoreline. All the debris is counted, sorted, recycled and disposed of properly.
-
How To Lead A Beach Cleanup Guide
Lots of people ask us how they can put together their own beach cleanup, so we’ve put together this handy guide to assist you in your own cleanup project.
-
In 2018 alone, our members and volunteers helped remove more than 7,000 pounds of garbage off of our local shorelines. All the debris is sorted, recycled and disposed of properly.
-
Volunteering at one of our monthly cleanups is the best way to help raise public awareness of the increasing amount of marine debris on our BC coast. Monthly beach cleanups happen on the second Sunday of every month, from 11am – 1pm. For more information, visit our calendar.
-
How can I join one of your cleanups? Anyone is welcome to join any of our scheduled cleanups. All you need to do is choose a date that works for you and come out to join us!
Do I need to sign up to join a cleanup? Nope! We only ask that you sign our waiver before heading out to clean the beach!
Can I bring my kids? Absolutely! Our cleanups are great for all ages.
What if I can no longer make it? No problem! There is no requirement to show up if you’ve signed the waiver and can no longer attend. We will catch you at another time.
Do I need to sign a waiver if I’ve signed it at another cleanup? Yes! Our waivers are unique to each event, so we require volunteers to sign them every time.
Program Leads
If you’re interested in joining our beach cleanup team as a program lead, please reach out!
beach-cleanups@svi.surfrider.ca