SAN DIEGO — This morning, more than 3,000 San Diegans joined I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) at 101 cleanup sites across the county for the 41st annual Coastal Cleanup Day.
Volunteers across the county restored, beautified, and protected the health of San Diego’s beloved beaches, canyons, rivers, and parks. As of 2:00 p.m., with 70% of sites reporting totals, an estimated 55,000 pounds of litter and debris were removed from San Diego communities and diverted from polluting local waterways and the Pacific Ocean. Final cleanup totals will be confirmed in the coming days.
Mayor Todd Gloria addressed more than 160 volunteers gathered at the kickoff site at Robb Field in Ocean Beach to thank them for their support and speak to the importance of keeping San Diego clean. The site also featured educational booths, waste-sorting stations, and more.
Volunteers logged what they were finding in an app that feeds into the largest marine database in the world. This information is then used to inform environmental priorities.
Cigarette butts, plastic bottle caps, and food wrappers are the most commonly found items. Other items found today include a bicylce wheel, a couch cushion, remnants of fireworks, and more.
ILACSD has been the official organizer of Coastal Cleanup Day in San Diego County since its inception in 1985. Over the last 41 years, more than 270,000 volunteers have removed over 5 million pounds of litter across San Diego County on Coastal Cleanup Day. The event is part of the global International Coastal Cleanup, which unites millions of volunteers across more than 150 countries each year to tackle plastic pollution and protect the health of our oceans.
Coastal Cleanup Day is supported locally by presenting sponsors Niagara Cares and Think Blue San Diego as well as our Gold Sponsors: Bank of America, The County of San Diego, Cox Communications, PNC Bank, Northrop Grumman, SDGE, Project Clean Water, and Wells Fargo.
Get Involved Year-Round
Coastal Cleanup Day may be over, but the work continues. I Love A Clean San Diego hosts community cleanups, zero waste workshops, clothing swaps, and other volunteer opportunities throughout the year. San Diegans can sign up for upcoming events at CleanSD.org to keep making a difference in their communities.
What is Coastal Cleanup Day?
Coastal Cleanup Day is more than just picking up litter, it’s about protecting the places we love. Each piece of trash removed is one less threat to our wildlife, waterways, and communities. With plastic pollution on track to outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050, this global day of action unites thousands of San Diegans with volunteers across the world to stop pollution at its source and safeguard our environment for future generations.
Since its founding in 1985, Coastal Cleanup Day has mobilized over 269,000 volunteers in San Diego County, removing more than 5 million pounds of litter and debris. The event is part of International Coastal Cleanup, organized globally by The Ocean Conservancy and statewide by the California Coastal Commission. Data collected from each site contributes to the world’s largest marine debris database.
About I Love A Clean San Diego
I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) is an environmental nonprofit that has supported residents and businesses of San Diego County through youth and adult education, and local action through impactful volunteer events and workshops since 1954. 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.
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