Step Up Your Recycling Efforts: Composting, It’s Easier Than You Think!

So you’ve mastered the basics of recycling, but you’d like to further decrease your impact on our local landfills and the environment. Composting is a great way to cut down on the amount of food waste and green waste (grass clippings, plant trimmings, leaves, etc.) that you throw out each month. The EPA estimates in 2018, the rate of food and other municipal solid waste (MSW) organics composting was 4.1 percent (2.6 million tons), but much of it can actually be diverted from the landfill and composted instead.

Composting is the process of decomposing organic material into a humus-like substance by microorganisms, like bacteria and fungi, and macroorganisms, like worms and insects. The benefits of composting go beyond saving landfill space. Composting benefits your garden by improving soil texture and nutrient levels and saves water by increasing the water holding capacity of soil. The best thing about composting is that anyone can do it, whether you live in a home or an apartment.

For those of you interested in composting at home, there are several composting workshops held year-round through I Love A Clean San Diego’s program events. Attending these workshops, which are taught by our education staff, are a great way to learn about the basics of composting. Additionally, the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation holds composting workshops at various locations throughout San Diego. Also, composting workshops are held at the Escondido Community Garden and the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista.

As the leaves begin to fall during the autumn months you may find that your yard is producing more green waste than your compost bin can handle. Both the Miramar Greenery and El Corazon Compost Facility in Oceanside will accept yard waste to make into compost that is then available for purchase. Both facilities accept branches, grass, and leaves that are used to produce high quality compost. In fact, since its inception in 1995, El Corazon Compost Facility has processed over 1 million tons of green waste into compost.

To learn more about composting and other waste management resources visit our one stop recycling resource, WasteFreeSD.org.

Thousands of Volunteers Clean and Beautify San Diego County at the 22 nd Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup

Over 4,000 registered volunteers of all ages at 106 sites took part in the region’s largest environmental cleanup during Earth Week.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY (April 20, 2024) –  Today, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) estimates 4,000
registered volunteers will have removed over 80,000 pounds of litter and debris from streets, canyons,
parks, and shores in communities across San Diego County for the 22 nd Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup.
“We are thankful for all the volunteers and sponsors, from all corners of San Diego County, who
celebrated Earth Month with us at Creek to Bay this year” said Ann Marie Sack, Director of Community
Engagement at I Love A Clean San Diego. Results are still coming in from the 106 sites throughout San
Diego County and across the border in Mexico.

Volunteers included residents, corporate groups, and community organizations who turned their
appreciation for the region into action by cleaning up waste and completing restoration projects.
Volunteers helped restore the local environment by planting natives, mulching, weeding, painting park
structures, and removing invasive species and graffiti. Among the debris, there were several notable odd
items collected including half of a guitar, a hand-washing station, three lawn mowers, a bat mobile toy
car, and over 100 pounds of household hazardous waste.

San Diego Mayor, Todd Gloria, and 76 th District Assembymember, Chris Ward, kicked off the day at Linda
Vista Community Park in honor of Creek to Bay’s 22nd anniversary. Since its inception in 2002, Creek to
Bay has played a significant role in preserving San Diego’s environment. "It takes today's extra special
effort because sometimes our parks can get loved to death,” said Assemblymember Ward. “We have a
lot of utility here, families, and people who love to come out to these spaces, and sometimes things can
get left behind. We want to make sure that we are doing our part.”

About 80 percent of all marine debris begins inland, and all residents of San Diego County live in one of
11 watersheds, which all have their own habitats and lead to our bays and ocean. Litter enters our local
watersheds and flows out to the Pacific Ocean, becoming a harmful threat to the health of both marine
wildlife and people. Single-use plastics are among the most problematic products because they break
down into micro-plastics and can be ingested by animals and humans.

ILACSD invites volunteers to take waste reduction into their own hands this Earth Month.
Here are some helpful tips:
1. Visit WasteFreeSD.org to learn more about how to recycle effectively to reduce contaminated
materials from the blue bin. The free database includes a wealth of options on how to properly
dispose of or recycle unwanted items as well as donation and repair centers.

2. Say goodbye to single-use items and embrace reusable alternatives.
3. Ensure that all recyclable materials, such as plastic and glass bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard,
and paper products are placed in designated recycling bins.

The Creek to Bay Cleanup is one of two annual countywide cleanups hosted by I Love A Clean San Diego
that engages thousands of local families, community groups, and local businesses. The next major
cleanup event is International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday September 21, 2024. For more
information about upcoming events please visit Cleansd.org.

I Love A Clean San Diego is grateful for the support of the 22nd annual Creek to Bay Presenting and Gold Sponsors:

Think Blue San Diego, County of San Diego and its Watershed Protection Program, COX Communication,
Project Clean Water, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

About I Love A Clean San Diego County

Celebrating 70 years in 2024, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) is an environmental nonprofit
supporting residents and businesses of San Diego County. ILACSD was founded in 1954 as the San Diego
War Against Litter Committee (WALC), in the 1970s, “I Love A Clean San Diego” became the slogan for
the organization’s anti-litter campaign, and in 1980, it became the organization’s name. Over the last
seven decades, ILACSD has since evolved into the nonprofit it is today, providing programs that go far
beyond litter cleanups and serve as environmental catalysts. Our programs inspire and empower San
Diegans to be environmental and waste-free living leaders in their communities. For more information,
to volunteer, or to make a gift, visit CleanSD.org or call (619) 291-0103. Connect with us on Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

I Love A Clean San Diego Provides Springtime Waste Reduction Resources to San Diego County Residents

I Love A Clean San Diego Provides Springtime Waste Reduction Resources to San Diego County Residents ILACSD and the County of San Diego share a reminder about the free WasteFreeSD.org database and recycling best practices to benefit residents this Spring Cleaning season

SAN DIEGO COUNTY (April 8, 2023) – With the spring season comes spring cleaning, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) and the County of San Diego remind residents of the free WasteFreeSD.org database and proper recycling practices. “Spring is a great time to downsize or part with items that you don’t use, have outgrown or simply don’t need,” says Steve Weihe, a Recycling Specialist with the County of San Diego.  “Consider passing on usable items to neighbors through Facebook’s Buy Nothing or Marketplace groups, NextDoor, Offer Up, Craigslist or your local thrift store.  You’ll be helping your neighbors as well as keeping items out of the landfill.”

WasteFreeSD.org Database and Hotline As residents conduct their spring cleaning, they are encouraged to use I Love A Clean San Diego’s free online database, WasteFreeSD.org, which provides information on thousands of repair, recycling, and donation centers throughout the region.  The free database also includes a wealth of options on how to properly dispose of or recycle unwanted items. The R1 Earth Hotline is available for residents who have questions or may need help locating a center near them. Hours run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Incorporated city residents, please call 1-800-237-2583; unincorporated residents may call 1-877-713-2784. “During Spring cleaning, we encourage residents to practice reuse, reduce, donate, and repair to limit the number of items that end up in the landfill,” said Ann Marie Sack, “WasteFreeSD.org is a wonderful and free resource for residents to help them achieve their zero-waste journey this season.” Recycling Best Practices As families continue their spring cleaning, having items to recycle is expected, but placing the correct items in the blue bin is important. Proper recycling practices ensure items remain valuable, make it through the recycling process, and reduce the hazard to workers and machinery at recycling facilities (MRFs). There are four main groups of materials that San Diego county residents can place in their blue recycling bins:

  • Paper, cardboard, and cartons
  • Plastic bottles and containers
  • Glass Bottles and Jars
  • Metal and aluminum cans and foil

Plastic bags, bubble wrap, and plastic mailers are recyclable but should NEVER be placed in your blue bins. These materials can be returned to participating retailers or reused.

Recycle Right in three simple steps:

  1. EMPTY-No or minimal food residue left
  2. DRY-No liquids remaining. Avoid getting items wet by closing bin lids
  3. LOOSE-Recyclables must be placed in the bin loose, not bagged

Film plastics like grocery bags and bread bags; tanglers like textiles and hoses; and household hazardous waste (HHW) such as batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and electronics DO NOT belong in the blue bin.

Residents can also find recycling guides on the County’s website and learn about sustainable practices by registering for one of I Love A Clean San Diego’s workshops and webinars at cleansd.org/events.

About I Love A Clean San Diego

Celebrating 70 years in 2024, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) is an environmental nonprofit supporting residents and businesses of San Diego County. ILACSD was founded in 1954 as the San Diego War Against Litter Committee (WALC), in the 1970s, “I Love A Clean San Diego” became the slogan for the organization’s anti-litter campaign, and in 1980, it became the organization’s name. Over the last seven decades, ILACSD has since evolved into the nonprofit it is today, providing programs that go far beyond litter cleanups and serve as environmental catalysts. Our programs inspire and empower San Diegans to be environmental and waste-free living leaders in their communities. For more information or to volunteer, visit CleanSD.org or call (619) 291-0103. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.