Thanks to a collaborative effort between ECOSLO and the City of San Luis Obispo, the city is now one of only 32 communities in California to be named an official ‘Clean California Community’ by the state.
“Congratulations on the City of San Luis Obispo being named a Clean California Community!” wrote Assemblymember Dawn Addis in a letter to the San Luis Obispo Mayor. “Thank you for your hard work and dedication to your community and the state as a whole. I appreciate the example you have set for other communities within the Central Coast.”
The City earned this designation by demonstrating its commitment to reducing litter, improving public spaces and fostering community pride. Through its Sustainable SLO initiative, the City focuses its efforts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste and reducing litter that ends up in the shared spaces, creeks and watersheds each year.
“The City of San Luis Obispo’s designation as a Clean California Community is a proud milestone that reflects the dedication of our volunteers and partners,” said Kendra Paulding, Executive Director of ECOSLO. “Together, we are proving that when a community unites around zero-litter goals, we can keep our city, and all of California, clean, healthy and beautiful.”
To earn the Clean California designation, the City partnered with ECOSLO and completed at least 10 of 15 criteria to clean up and beautify San Luis Obispo. This includes:
- signing the pledge
- creating an advisory body
- receiving community input
- hosting cleanups in the community
- conducting litter assessments
- using anti-litter infrastructure
- measuring progress
- educating the community
- hosting collection drives for bulky items and e-waste
- enforcing anti-litter policy and management
- long-term planning to reduce litter
- placing cigarette waste receptacles in the city
- creating and maintaining programs that beautify and keep the community green
“We are immensely honored to receive this ‘Clean California Community’ designation, which shows that our community takes pride in where we live and takes care of our environment,” said Robert Hill, the City’s Sustainability & Natural Resources Official. “We are delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with ECOSLO and community volunteers. Together, we are rolling up our sleeves and keeping SLO clean and beautiful every day.”
The Clean California Community Designation Program is part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s $1.2 billion Clean California initiative, which was launched in 2021 by Caltrans to clean up, reclaim, transform and beautify public spaces statewide. The program was developed in partnership with Caltrans, Keep America Beautiful and Keep California Beautiful.
Last month, Governor Gavin Newsom announced over 3.4 million cubic yards of litter had been cleared from state highways and communities in the four years of the Newsom administration’s Clean California effort. That’s the equivalent of more than 136,000 garbage trucks filled, enough to line over 500 miles of I-5 from Sacramento to San Diego and then some.
Along with the designation, the City will receive “Clean California Community” signs, educational resources, automatic membership with Keep California Beautiful and recognition in statewide news releases and cross-promotional Clean California materials.
The City and ECOSLO encourage other communities in the region to join the program and continue to clean up and transform California. For more information about the program and to take the pledge, visit CleanCA.com/Designation.