About
I Love A Clean San Diego
Founded as the San Diego War Against Litter Committee (WALC) in 1954, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) has worked to improve the health and beauty of San Diego for over 70 years. In the 1970s, “I Love A Clean San Diego” was the slogan for the organization’s anti-litter campaign. In 1980 it became the organization’s name. In 1989, ILACSD merged with the San Diego Ecology Center, joining two leading environmental organizations together to better serve the community, under one name.
Today, our nonprofit is on a mission to create zero waste lifestyles and zero litter throughout San Diego County. ILACSD serves about 100,000 students, adults and businesses every year by providing environmental education, volunteer cleanup and beautification programs, and recycling and zero waste solutions. On average, the organization hosts over 900 workshops and produces 600 community cleanups each year. Community cleanups are responsible for clearing nearly half a million pounds of pollution from the region annually. ILACSD is dedicated to empowering every person to be leaders in conservation and waste-free living in order to protect and improve the health of the home we love. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Our Mission
I Love A Clean San Diego leads and inspires our community to actively conserve and enhance the environment through example, outreach, and local involvement.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
I Love A Clean San Diego’s staff and board believe addressing inequity is critical to our mission. Through ongoing DEI training and intentional practices, we are strengthening the impact of our mission by improving understanding, action planning and goal setting. Every day we intentionally integrate DEI values in all areas of the organization’s internal and external operations and will continue to do so into the future.
Our Vision
A zero waste, litter-free, and environmentally engaged San Diego region.
Accomplishments
A Cleaner San Diego
Each year our volunteers remove half a million pounds of debris from San Diego's neighborhoods, creeks, canyons, and coastlines.
Discover a Greener Future
WasteFreeSD.org, our zero waste database and call center, provides residents with helpful information to reduce, reuse, repair, recycle, and donate items that would otherwise end up in San Diego's overcrowded landfills.
Sustainable Cleanup
Many ILACSD volunteers pledge to bring reusable work gloves, water bottles, or buckets to our cleanups! Choosing reusable options helps reduce the amount of waste that we create, making our cleanups more sustainable
Educate, Empower, Evolve
Each year, our environmental educators foster awareness amongst 30,000 San Diegans, encouraging them to incorporate small changes that greatly benefit our shared environment.
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Million Lbs Trash Collected
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Volunteers Countywide
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People Educated and Inspired in 2023
Become a Part of the Solution
Volunteer
Create your own volunteer profile in less than a minute and gain access to all of our opportunities!
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Stay up to date with all of I Love A Clean San Diego’s innovative programs, community cleanups and more by signing up to receive our monthly e-newsletter!
“I would like to share with you a terrific experience. Over several months, my family and I have been in contact with the [WasteFreeSD Hotline Operator]
to learn the best methods of disposing of household hazardous wastes...The [WasteFreeSD Hotline Operator] has been so thorough and helpful to us with this project. Their knowledge and ability to explain the process are superb and
I just wanted to share this with you.”
Julian Resident
2021
“It’s a great way to give back to the community...Like a lot of people, we’re concerned about climate change and doing what we can for the environment.”
Tanisha Denham
2022
"A good non-profit environmental organization that supports voluntary clean-ups throughout San Diego...The staff is friendly...I'll continue to support and coordinate voluntary clean-ups through them."
Gil Corpuz
2023
