New ‘LOVE SD’ Campaign Inspires San Diegans to Take Action and Volunteer for a Cleaner, Greener Community

A countywide movement led by a new coalition rallies thousands of San Diegans to take action and pledge to ‘Recycle. Compost. Reduce Litter. Every Day.

SAN DIEGO – Sept. 17, 2025 – Local nonprofit I Love A Clean San Diego, in collaboration with Niagara Cares, launched its new eight-month “LOVE SD” campaign to create a sustainable future for our community. The two organizations, along with coalition partners, hosted a beach cleanup at Belmont Park and the surrounding Mission Beach community on Tuesday, Sept. 2 to mark the launch. The event brought together local residents and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who joined volunteers to pick up trash and support the cause.

Over 120 volunteers came together, combing the beach and surrounding areas to pick up litter. Post-holiday cleanups bring neighbors together to restore our beach communities after the festivities, ensuring these shared spaces remain safe, welcoming, and beautiful for everyone to enjoy while protecting San Diego’s vibrant coastline and watershed. Approximately 120 pounds of litter was collected during the two-hour cleanup event.

The “LOVE SD” campaign was founded by Niagara Cares, the charitable division of Niagara Bottling, the family-run beverage company that has hydrated America since 1963. Niagara Cares brought together a coalition of other nonprofit partners to support the campaign, including Keep America Beautiful®, DoSomething.org and The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Together, the coalition aims to mobilize thousands of local volunteers from all generations to protect San Diego’s ecosystem.

“We’re excited to launch our ‘LOVE SD’ initiative in collaboration with our coalition partners who are also working to better and strengthen our community,” says Steve Morris, executive director, I Love A Clean San Diego. “Through this eight-month campaign, we want to remind San Diegans everywhere, from the coast to the desert to the mountains, to show love for our region through simple acts like recycling, composting, and picking up litter. No action is too small to keep trash off our streets and out of our ocean. San Diegans, regardless of age, cherish our natural environment and spaces, and this campaign will amplify that appreciation while inspiring action.”

Protecting San Diego’s natural beauty for generations to come

“LOVE SD” is a countywide movement that inspires San Diegans of all ages, local businesses, and organizations to care for their communities through environmental action, and to take a simple but powerful pledge through Earth Month in April 2026: Recycle. Compost. Reduce Litter. Every Day. The campaign also hopes to raise San Diego’s recycling rate. While the city’s 67% rate is higher than the state average (40%), 76% of what ends up in San Diego’s landfill is recyclable.

The campaign is designed to celebrate and protect San Diego’s vibrant environment, while inspiring locals to take daily actions to make a lasting difference in the health and beauty of their community. To educate and inspire action in our community, I Love A Clean San Diego and their coalition partners will host events across the county and large-scale cleanups. In addition to events, the eight-month program will be promoted through bus shelter ads, trolley wraps, radio advertisements, and digital ads.

“LOVE SD” is the expansion of the LOVE YOUR HAPPY PLACE Campaign, launched by Niagara Cares as part of their commitment to providing access, infrastructure, and education on recycling to local communities. The LOVE YOUR HAPPY PLACE Campaign launched last year with LOVE ATX in Austin, Texas, increasing local recycling rates at home from 22% to 32%. Upcoming cities for the LOVE YOUR HAPPY PLACE Campaign include Los Angeles, Oakland, and Denver, among others. Through this collaboration, Niagara Cares continues its mission to support initiatives that foster community wellness, innovation, and stewardship.

“LOVE SD” unites San Diegans around the shared goal of keeping our home clean, green, and thriving. “Love requires action, and true love for San Diego is shown in how we care for and protect our home,” says Morris. “From picking up litter to recycling, composting, and conserving resources, every action counts. Whether you’re a visitor, a newcomer, or a lifelong resident, we can all make a difference together.”

To get involved with the “LOVE SD” campaign and I Love A Clean San Diego, visit cleansd.org to explore events and activities across the region.

 

ABOUT THE “LOVE SD” COALITION PARTNERS

Niagara Cares is the heart of what we do and who we are at Niagara Bottling. For more than 60 years, we have been making a difference for our Team Members, consumers and communities through philanthropic giving, volunteering, water donations and disaster relief. As a family-owned business, we are committed to creating meaningful change for our communities through a spirit of giving back both big and small. For more information, visit niagarawater.com/niagara-cares. 

Niagara Bottling, LLC has been family owned and operated since 1963. Headquartered in Diamond Bar, Calif., Niagara operates bottling facilities throughout the U.S. and Mexico. As a leading U.S. beverage manufacturer, Niagara Bottling works closely with some of the largest retailers, grocers, club and convenience stores throughout the country. Niagara produces a variety of beverages including bottled water, sparkling, vitamin and flavored water, teas, sports drinks, ready-to-drink coffee, protein drinks and non-dairy milk products. For more information, visit www.niagarawater.com.

I Love A Clean San Diego 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.

Keep America Beautiful® is the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful® strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green, and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. The organization is driven by the work and passion of 700 Keep America Beautiful® affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.

DoSomething.org is the leading digital hub for youth-centered impact and service with over 1 million active members and a 32-year legacy of activating over 8 million young people in every U.S. area code and 189 countries to take action. We fuel young people to change the world. We specialize in transforming civically curious young people into civically committed leaders. Our actions and programs educate and equip young people, ages 13 to 25, to build solutions to the issues that matter most to them. DoSomething has registered 425,000 young people to vote since 2018 and awarded nearly $2 million in scholarships to young people committed to doing good in their communities since 2010.

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates — the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, environmental resilience and health and well-being. For more information, visit nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit parksandrecreation.org.

 

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Hidden Hazards: A Story of Illegal Dumping in San Diego

It starts with a pile of trash on a quiet San Diego street. A neighbor drives by and at first glance, nothing unusual. But up close, it’s more concerning: old electronics, discarded batteries, used motor oil containers, and even a refrigerator lying on its side. The worst part? One item slowly sets a precedent for others, and before you know it the discarded items pile up. This isn’t just litter; it’s illegal dumping, a hidden threat to our environment, public health, and neighborhoods. 

More Than Just Trash 

Illegal dumping often involves hazardous or bulky waste that can leach toxins and pollute waterways. Batteries contain lithium, lead, and mercury. Electronic waste (e-waste) like computers, TVs, and phones carry heavy metals and flame retardants. Large appliances may contain refrigerants that are harmful to the environment. Even used motor oil, when poured into storm drains or on the ground, can devastate aquatic life. 

These hazards don’t just harm wildlife or ecosystems, they impact neighborhoods, reducing property values and costing the County of San Diego thousands in cleanup efforts. Stormwater can wash discarded items into rivers and oceans, spreading pollution far beyond the original dump site. 

The Scale of the Problem 

So far in 2025 (as of September 22, 2025), volunteers at I Love A Clean San Diego sponsored cleanups have collected approximately 400 pounds of illegally dumped waste, including batteries and e-waste, as well as appliances and oil containers. Illegal dumping is not an isolated issue; it’s a widespread problem that affects communities and natural spaces alike. 

Why People Dump 

Several factors contribute to illegal dumping: 

  • Inconvenience: Many residents don’t know where to take old electronics, batteries, or oil filters. 
  • Cost concerns: Some people assume disposal is expensive or complicated. 
  • Lack of awareness: People may not realize the environmental and health impacts of their actions. 

These barriers often make illegal dumping seem like the easiest option, even though it carries serious consequences. 

A Solution: WasteFreeSD.org 

WasteFreeSD.org is San Diego County’s one-stop resource for proper disposal of hazardous and bulky waste. Residents can: 

  • Find local drop-off centers and collection events to assist in the recycling of batteries, e-waste, appliances, and motor oil. 
  • Access step-by-step instructions for safe disposal. 
  • Take advantage of free or low-cost recycling programs. (wastefreesd.org) 

By using these resources, residents protect their neighborhoods, local wildlife, and waterways—while making illegal dumping less appealing. 

How Communities Can Help 

Addressing illegal dumping is a community effort: 

  • Report illegal dumping when you see it 
  • Participate in neighborhood or county cleanups. 
  • Support local initiatives to improve access to proper disposal and recycling.  

Check out our video about illegal dumping here.

Give Your Pumpkins a Second Life in the Green Bin

When Halloween is over, carved pumpkins often move from the porch to the trash can. Across the country, more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins are sent to landfills each year. (usda.gov) Unfortunately, when organic waste like pumpkins are buried, they break down without oxygen and produces methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas. 

Here in San Diego County, there’s a better solution: pumpkins belong in your green organic waste bin! Under California’s organic waste recycling law (SB 1383), food scraps, yard waste, and other organic material must be placed in your curbside green bin to be recycled, composted or otherwise not end up in the trash. Instead of wasting away in a landfill, your pumpkin can be transformed into nutrient-rich compost that helps grow healthy soil, conserve water, and support local agriculture and landscaping. Getting your pumpkin ready for composting is simple.

Start by removing any decorations such as candles, wax, stickers, glitter, or paint that won’t break down naturally. Then place it directly in your green organic waste bin loose, in a paper bag or on top of yard waste. Remember: plastic bags, even those labeled “compostable,” are not accepted in the county’s waste collection system.

Organic waste make up about 40% of what San Diego County residents send to landfills. Redirecting that waste into the green bin not only reduces methane emissions but also creates valuable compost used to enrich soils throughout the region.

The cycle is simple: your jack-o-lantern becomes part of the next harvest instead of part of a growing landfill. This Halloween season, remember: if it grows, it goes. By composting your pumpkin, you’re helping reduce climate impacts, improve soil health, and contribute to a cleaner San Diego!