Community Cleanup Features Zero-Waste Prizes, Interactive Educational Activities and a Bulky Item Drop-Off

The City of Goleta is thrilled to announce the 4th Annual Beautify Goleta Earth Day event, taking place on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This year’s community-wide cleanup and educational event will be centralized at Stow Canyon Open Space (on Valdez Avenue). The Free Bulky Item Drop-Off will be located along Cathedral Oaks Road between Windsor Avenue and Carlo Drive from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

With an ongoing commitment to fostering a Waste Free Goleta lifestyle and preserving local environments, the City is calling on volunteers to help build on the massive success of the 2025 Beautify Goleta Earth Day event. Last year, 115 dedicated volunteers removed 317 pounds of trash, while 36 vehicles safely disposed of 6,000 pounds of bulky items.

Local nonprofit Tidy Seas is the official Captain of this event. They will be joined by essential community partners, including the Goleta Valley Library, MarBorg Industries, Santa Barbara County Less Is More, and Mission Refill.

Community Clean-Up

Come be a part of Beautify Goleta Earth Day! Volunteers will be fully equipped for success on the day of the event. The City will provide safety equipment and cleanup gear, including hats, long-sleeve t-shirts, safety vests, gloves, trash bags, buckets, and trash grabbers.

All litter collected during the event will be sorted on-site into specific Recycling Material Categories by event staff and volunteers, providing a unique, hands-on educational effort. This eye-opening activity provides a stark visual of our community’s waste footprint and highlights the importance of conscious disposal.

Family-Friendly Activities and Education

The Beautify Goleta Earth Day event is designed for all ages. Highlights include:

• Library Services: The Goleta Valley Library Team will be setup to help you register for your own library card, learn more about the Seed Library, or check out some of the curated materials they picked for the event.
• Touch-A-Truck Experience: Hosted by MarBorg Industries, kids and families can get up close and personal with the impressive vehicles that keep our city running.
• Sustainable Kids Craft Activity: Mission Refill will have a sustainable craft activity for kids using recycled and natural materials.
• Waste Reduction Education: Experts from Santa Barbara County Less Is More will be on-site to discuss critical solid waste programs, heavily featuring the highly successful new Textile Recycling Program, which is currently achieving over 95% diversion from landfill disposal.

Volunteer Prize Drawing

To thank the community for their hard work, participating volunteers will be entered into a prize drawing featuring highly sought-after sustainability items. Prizes include an Earth Machine Backyard Composting Bin, a professional Trash Grabber, and Waste Free Goleta-themed items such as paperless paper towels and wool dryer balls.

Keep showing up, Goleta! Let’s continue to grow this incredible movement and set new records for our city. Stay tuned for additional announcements leading up to the big day.

For all event inquiries or to learn more about how to participate, please email EnvironmentalServices@cityofgoleta.gov or visit www.cityofgoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta.