SAN DIEGO — On May 23, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) will kick off its Clean Beach Coalition, partnering with local businesses to service 100 waste and recycling bins along the coast during San Diego’s busy summer holidays.
The program places extra bins on Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, and Mission Bay for Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends.
“We make it easy for beachgoers to join an impactful environmental solution,” said Kristin Banks, ILACSD’s community engagement director. “When trash and recycling bins are accessible and clearly labeled, people are more likely to use them and keep our beaches clean.”
ILACSD teams up with Urban Corps, a nonprofit helping young adults find community-driven work, to dispose of the waste and recyclables properly.
ILACSD also hosts community cleanups following Fourth of July and Labor Day to remove additional litter.
The problem of litter during the summer and beyond
Keep America Beautiful’s 2026 National Litter Study found that coastal areas have nearly eight times more litter per mile than roadways and waterways, and most of the pieces are less than four inches.
During the holidays, single-use plastics like food containers and bottles are among the most littered items. Plastic never fully decomposes, which poses a health threat to water quality and marine ecosystems.
Clean Beach Coalition’s impact
Last year’s Clean Beach Coalition prevented 14,200 pounds of litter from reaching the ocean. Over the past decade, Clean Beach Coalition has prevented over 3.5 million pounds of trash from reaching the ocean.
Local companies are encouraged to join the Coalition. Sponsors are environmental allies and are featured on all 100 temporary recycling and trash bins.
This year’s Clean Beach Coalition is possible through the support of Niagara Cares, Keep America Beautiful, Pacific Beach Shore Club, Sand Cloud, SeaWorld San Diego, Wheelhouse Credit Union, and Cox Communications.
To learn more or sponsor Clean Beach Coalition, visit: https://www.cleansd.org/environmental-action/litter-recycling/cleanbeachcoalition/ .
LOVE SD
Clean Beach Coalition is part of ILACSD’s LOVE SD campaign. LOVE SD is a county-wide movement powered by ILACSD, Keep America Beautiful, and Niagara Cares that calls every San Diegan to action. True love for San Diego is shown in what we do — from picking up litter to recycling, composting, and conserving resources. Every small step counts, and together, we make a big difference.
