Clean Beach Coalition’s Litter-free Beach Effort Kicks Off July Fourth Weekend Along San Diego Beaches and Bays
I Love A Clean San Diego and the City of San Diego to deploy additional waste and recycling bins in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay and Ocean Beach to help reduce damaging pollution.
SAN DIEGO (June 29, 2020) – By this Friday, July 3, 2020, nearly 100 additional disposal bins will be deployed along the beaches and bays in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay and Ocean Beach in time for the Fourth of July weekend. Chief among these will be additional recycling bins to divert useful recyclables from the landfill. These temporary waste and recycling bins are easier to empty each day and will augment the city’s permanent waste bins, which overflow on summer holidays.
The Clean Beach Coalition, a 13-year partnership with I Love A Clean San Diego and the City of San Diego helps protect the city’s beaches from hundreds of thousands of pounds of pollution over summer holidays. Since its inception, the additional bins have captured over 3.5 million pounds of potential beach and ocean pollution. Last year, the program collected over 348,000 pounds of trash and recyclables.
“We may still be living under certain restrictions of COVID-19, but the crowds are coming,” said Len Hering, executive director for I Love A Clean San Diego. “Unfortunately, San Diego’s beaches get trashed with tons of plastic, styrofoam, cigarette butts and other forms of preventable waste left behind in the wake of summer holidays, which hurt our beaches, waterways and wildlife. We hope more people will make use of the bins and pack out what they pack in, including their trash and recycling.”
Pollution generated by single-use packaging, and containers and wrapping from restaurant to-go orders has seen a significant spike in beach communities since the coronavirus began and it is only expected to worsen over the remaining summer holiday weekends. This increase, coupled with other items brought from home has made the use of temporary waste and recycling bins a necessity to provide relief for the city’s most heavily-trafficked beaches.
“The large crowds expected at local beaches this summer make it critical to keep trash off the sand and out of the ocean,” said Andy Field, Director of the City of San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department. “Placing the additional bins allows beachgoers to get rid of their trash and recyclables, protecting their safety and the health of the environment.”
Think Blue helps sponsor the temporary trash bins in an effort to keep our beaches clean for all to enjoy while protecting water quality.
“Trash in our beach areas and communities impact San Diego’s natural environmental beauty and, if not disposed of properly, ends up untreated into our storm drain system, directly polluting our local beaches and waterways,” said City of San Diego’s Assistant Deputy Director Bethany Bezak. “These temporary bins provide beachgoers additional opportunities to properly dispose of trash and become part of the solution to prevent polluting our bays and ocean.”
Beachgoers: Enjoy the scene, leave the beaches clean!
- Leave the beach you enjoyed better than it was when you arrived! Pack out what you packed in!
- Please do not purchase styrofoam containers or single-use plastic cups of any kind. Rather use hard plastic or metal coolers, insulated bags and reusable, beach-safe cups as alternatives.
- Please do not purchase single-use plastic bottles. Bring refillable water bottles and large reusable fluid containers for beverages instead.
- Refuse plastic utensils and plastic bags from store purchases or restaurants – bring and use reusable options.
- Eliminate the need for single-use sandwich bags and food wrappers by shopping in bulk and packing food in reusable food storage containers.
Major support for this year’s effort comes from Think Blue San Diego, The Coca-Cola Foundation and PB Shore Club. Additional information about the campaign is available at CleanBeachCoalition.org.
About I Love A Clean San Diego
Founded in 1954, I Love A Clean San Diego is an environmental nonprofit supporting residents and businesses of San Diego County through youth and adult education, and local action through impactful volunteer events and workshops. As San Diego’s most influential advocate for sustainability, I Love A Clean San Diego’s programs are an environmental catalyst, awakening passion and inspiring action to empower everyone to be leaders in conservation and waste-free living. Our community is passion in action to maintain and improve the health of the home we love. For more information, to volunteer or donate, visit CleanSD.org or call (619) 291-0103. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.