ILACSD Cleans Up in 2011

After a stellar 2010 which saw our programs grow here at I Love A Clean San Diego, we set our sights on increasing effectiveness in 2011. Focusing on quality, awareness and sustainability, we have exciting results to announce from our 58th year of love for a clean San Diego!

Our Education Department continued its effective education programs, engaging a total of 30,835 youth and adults in 2011.

Our Educator, Alex, teaching kids about the importance of recycling
This is a slight increase from 2010, but in 2011 our focus was on making education more engaging and interactive. We used new assessment tools that showed that 39% of students who received our presentations were more likely to personally take action to prevent pollution based on their newly acquired environmental knowledge. 

Our Community Events Department continued to make strong impacts on San Diego County, mobilizing 29,000 volunteers to remove 241 tons of trash from the local environment.
 
This year, we focused on enhancing participants experience and ensuring strong volunteer retention. The addition of beautification service projects and education opportunities resulted in 100% of surveyed volunteers responding that they would attend another ILACSD volunteer event in the future.

“I loved being able to assist the environment in a hands-on way. It made me very aware of where the trash goes.” – Clean Canyons for a Clean Coast Volunteer

WasteFreeSD.org, our one stop recycling resource, continued to provide accurate referrals to San Diego County residents on how to dispose of or recycle 19,000 items.

WasteFreeSD.org provides residents with information on recycling and proper disposal of hazardous items, diverting countless amounts of waste from San Diego’s landfills, and preventing illegal dumping in our communities. We experienced a 14% increase in requests for information through our website, www.WasteFreeSD.org. Recent partnership expansions with local jurisdictions will ensure that this integral piece of our environmental programming will continue to assist the public in making responsible disposal decisions.

In 2012 we plan to focus our efforts on expanding our influence, increasing our impact by integrating our programs and our continued leadership in protecting and enhancing San Diego County’s unique environment.

Save the date for the 10th anniversary of our Creek to Bay Cleanup, April 28, 2012! See you there!

Why Should You Recycle Your Used Oil Filter?

Local resident recycling her used oil filter

Did you know that one used oil filter has an average of 10 fluid ounces of motor oil trapped inside it?

Many people know that they can and should recycle their used motor oil, but they may not know that your used oil filter also contains used motor oil, as well as steel, both of which can be recycled so that they don’t contaminate our local environment and take up space in local landfills.   CalRecycle reports that more than two million gallons of motor oil from these filters are being disposed of improperly each year in California. Recycled used motor oil can be re-refined and used again, ensuring that it doesn’t contaminate our local waterways.  It only takes one gallon of used oil to contaminate one million gallons of drinking water!

I Love A Clean San Diego has partnered with cities in the area to provide an incentive to residents to properly dispose of used oil filters by providing a replacement filter for free when they bring their old filters to one of the events below.

If you can’t attend one of these events, there are more than 300 locations in San Diego County that accept used oil filters year-round for recycling at no charge. These locations, most of them auto parts and repair stores known as Certified Collection Centers, will also accept up to five gallons of used motor oil at no charge. In addition, Certified Collection Centers will pay residents 40 cents per gallon of used motor oil, upon request. Motor oil can’t be contaminated with water or other liquids such as antifreeze, solvents, or gasoline. If you have contaminated motor oil or more than five gallons of non-contaminated motor oil, you must visit a household hazardous waste collection facility.

For more information on where to recycle used motor oil and oil filters, visit I Love A Clean San Diego’s one stop recycling resource, WasteFreeSD.org. We encourage all San Diegans to visit our recycling website to learn more about similar events held countywide!

Upcoming Oil Filter Exchange Events:

Bring your old filter and receive a new one for free! Limit one free filter per person.

Chula Vista
Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 9am – 1pm
Pep Boys at 454 Broadway Ave.

El Cajon
Saturday, February 4, 2012 from 9am – 1pm
Pep Boys at 201 Jamacha Rd.

Santee
Saturday, February 11, 2012 from 9am – 1pm
Pep Boys at 10041 Mission Gorge Rd.

Lemon Grove
Saturday February 18, 2012 from 9am – 1pm
O’Reilly Auto Parts at 6925 Federal Blvd.

La Mesa
Saturday February 25, 2012 from 9am – 1pm
O’Reilly Auto Parts at 5350 Jackson Dr.

National City
Saturday March 3, 2012 from 9am – 1pm
O’Reilly Auto Parts at 1202 E. Plaza Blvd.

Intern Focus: Christina, Community Events Intern

Christina Diette came to I Love A Clean San Diego in September 2011 looking to gain experience in event coordination and make use of a love for the outdoors that she gained growing up in a rural community.  Since her start as the Community Events Intern, she has attended six outreach events and cleanups, and has spent countless hours in the office helping with event preparation, volunteer recruitment, and program maintenance.

Christina, right, with ILACSD staff at an outreach event

My father often tells me that he doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up. Somehow, I seem to have gained the same mentality. Almost three years after earning my undergraduate degree in History, I have yet to determine what I want to be when I grow up. With our current economy making it hard for graduates such as myself to find careers pertaining to our degrees, the world may still hold opportunities to travel down a rewarding path. Over the past four months, that path in my life has been with I Love A Clean San Diego.

According to Daniel Pink in his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, people are more motivated and satisfied in their work lives if they believe they are working for a purpose greater than themselves. As an intern at ILACSD, I do believe I am working toward a greater cause. With every email I send asking for volunteers and with every early Saturday morning I spend checking in volunteers at clean-up sites, I am making a difference in this organization’s ability to fulfill its mission to help the community learn about and participate in enhancing our local environment.

My experience at ILACSD has been varied and eye opening. I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the extreme amount of refuse that ends up in the Tijuana River. I helped young children recognize the difference between trash and recyclables at a street fair. I spent an evening at a mixer surrounded by eco-conscious locals and vendors on the rooftop of a green-certified hotel, and walked the streets of Pacific Beach counting cigarette butts to determine the success of the organization’s Cigarette Litter Prevention Program. I have always recycled, but this internship has showed me just how many more ways one can help make a difference.

Like my father, I may not know what I want to be when I grow up. I do know, however, that continuing to live an environmentally responsible lifestyle is a priority, wherever life takes me. Making a difference, however small, is the opportunity that ILACSD has afforded me and what I have learned here will stay with me always.

Environmental Education and Our Nearby Nature Program

Education plays a large part in our mission to actively conserve and enhance the environment here in San Diego. Each year, we conduct a variety of outreach programs to educate youth in the San Diego region about properly conserving our local environment. This helps guide them in developing good habits at a young age, that then become part of daily life and ultimately result in a healthier, cleaner, and more vibrant San Diego for future generations.

We believe that the best way to educate today’s youth is to emerge them in hands-on activities. We want to instill a lifelong appreciation for the local environment by providing opportunities to cultivate a greater sense of responsibility for protecting it.

We provide environmental education and community outreach programs for elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as youth groups. Our Educators uses a variety of media, including presentations, storytelling, and hands-on demonstrations to teach topics such as: 

  • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  • Household Hazardous Waste
  • Litter Reduction
  • Used Oil Recycling
  • Ocean and Water Pollution Prevention
  • Watershed Education

We also offer an opportunity to expand their knowledge through place-based learning and nearby nature field trips, which have been proven more effective at instilling environmental knowledge among youth.

After the education in the classroom, we lead them in a service project in their local community, such as trash removal, habitat restoration, and storm drain stenciling to restore local waterways!  We also coordinate nearby nature field trips, where children can better understand and value the nature surrounding them every day. While many adults are able to give an account of a time when they experienced nature as a child, most of today’s children cannot (71% of adults vs. 26% youth according to a study by Manhattanville College conducted in 2004).

By educating our local youth about how they can help preserve our environment, the program will build a stronger sense of community pride and improve San Diego’s natural environment. A cleaner environment means a healthy community, which will improve the lives of all San Diego residents!

Are you a classroom teacher in a grade 3-6? Would you like a Nearby Nature experience for your grade level team? I Love A Clean San Diego is offering two lucky schools the opportunity to participate in Nearby Nature education programs!

What is Nearby Nature?

Educators will lead your entire grade level on walking field trips to your nearest “nature” area, providing guided hikes and standards based outdoor learning activities. This is an excellent opportunity for your students to experience nature firsthand! If you are interested or have questions, please send an email to education@cleansd.org today!

Nature education improves academic performance. When the environment is used as an integrating context for learning the school curriculum, students have shown better performance on standardized measures of academic achievement in reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. Additionally, teachers have seen reduced discipline and classroom management problems and increased engagement and enthusiasm for learning. Nature experiences help children develop a sense of place in their community and increase awareness of San Diego County habitats. Nature education programs can also increase environmentally responsible behavior, including students’ perceived knowledge of issues and action, environmental sensitivity, and intention to act. – Source: San Diego Children & Nature’s “Nearby Nature School Field Trips” Guidebook

Make a Recycling Resolution

It’s the beginning of a brand new year and many people are setting their new year’s resolutions, all the things they want to accomplish and improve on in the coming year. If you’re reading our blog, protecting the Earth is probably already high on your priority list, so this year make a resolution to help our local environment by increasing your recycling in 2012. We don’t just mean recycling paper, card board and bottles, there are many things you’re likely going to come across throughout the year that you may want to get rid of. Before you trash them, check our database www.wastefreesd.org to see if they can be recycled or disposed of properly so that they don’t take up space or contaminate our environment in a landfill.

Here are a few things to remember to recycle throughout the year:

Winter

The holiday season is a time of giving and receiving. New electronics and new toys most likely means you’ll be getting rid of old ones. There are many options for recycling your electronic waste, and now you can even recycle plastic toys in your regular recycling bins!

Spring

Time for spring cleaning! There are a million little things (and some big things!) you’ll want to throw away while you’re cleaning out your house, garage, or storage unit. Things like paint, used batteries and other household waste should not be thrown in your trash. Even if they can’t be recycled, there are places you can take them where they can be properly disposed of.

Summer

Broken surf board? Old flip flops? Wine corks from that batch of sangria? All can be recycled!

Fall

It’s football season which probably means tailgating or backyard BBQs. Don’t forget to collect and recycle your beer and soda cans or bottles and be sure to use reusable plates and cups! If you’re doing yard work, yard and wood waste can also be recycled.

Household Hazardous Waste Tips:

If you live in the unincorporated ares of San Diego County, another easy option to dispose of items that can’t be recycled but are still hazardous to the environment is to bring them to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event on January 7th from 9am to 3pm at Ingold Sports Park (2551 Olive Hill Rd. Fallbrook, CA 92028).

They will be accepting household hazardous waste, electronics, sharps and medications. Items NOT accepted: Business waste, tires, ammunition, explosive and radioactive materials, air conditioners or large appliances.

  • Transportation requirements of household hazardous waste: Leave products in existing container, if possible. Make sure lids are on tight so containers will not leak. Transport containers in the trunk or in back of the vehicle away from passengers and pets.
  • Do not transport over 15 gallons or 125 pounds of household hazardous waste at one time. Containers used for transport must be no larger than a 5-gallon bucket.
  • Note: Only Five (5) televisions or computer monitors per car will be accepted, in addition to household hazardous, electronic and universal waste.

The next Free Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event on March 10th! They can also find more information on our one-stop recycling resource by searching for the waste category “household hazardous waste collection event”.

Don’t Forget to Recycle That Tree!

The holidays are a time of giving, this year give a gift to your local environment by recycling your Christmas tree! There are many ways to make your holidays more eco-friendly, like recycling wrapping paper and gift boxes, but often people forget that their tree  can be recycled too. Trees and other yard wastes can be easily made into compost and mulch which are then used to improve soil health at residences, public parks and local farms. 

 

Last year, Allied Waste reported that they collected 9.93 tons of holiday trees on just one collection route in San Diego. With thousands of collection routes throughout the County, the total amount of trees discarded every year is staggering. Most waste haulers offer special holiday tree recycling programs to pick up trees with yard waste on regular collection days. In addition to curbside pick-up, tree drop-off sites are located in several communities in the City and County of San Diego. Click here to view a full list of curbside pick-up and tree-drop off locations in San Diego!

ILACSD and the County have made finding out how to recycle holiday trees convenient. Visit the County’s Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste database at www.wastefreesd.org or call 1-877-R-1-EARTH (1-877-713-2784) to learn how and where to recycle your holiday tree.

I Love A Clean San Diego operates San Diego County’s recycling website and call center which refers thousands of residents to the proper facilities to recycle or dispose of just about anything. From broken surfboards to wine corks, railroad ties to cooking oil, ILACSD’s One-Stop Recycling Resource makes recycling quick and convenient.

Holiday Tree Recycling Tips: 

  • Trees taller than four feet should be cut in half.
  • All tree stands, nails and tree decorations must be removed.
  • Check with your local hauler to see if they accept flocked trees.

What else can you recycle this holiday season?

In addition to your tree and gift wrapping, you should also recycle things like your old electronics (cell phones, computers, etc.), household items, and used batteries. These things are hazardous to the environment when they are just thrown in a landfill. Visit www.wastefreesd.org to find out how to recycle these items, and many more!

If you love a clean San Diego, GiveBIG today!

There is so much to love about living in San Diego, the environment here is definitely one of them! With so many environmental organizations in our area, why should you support ILACSD?

  • We are the longest running environmental nonprofit in the area! We started fighting litter in 1954 and haven’t stopped since.
  • We are the only organization dedicated to cleaning up the entire county of San Diego, from inland to the coast, for generations to come.
  • Not just cleanups! We’re most know for our clean up events, Creek to Bay and Coastal Cleanup day, where our volunteers remove thousands of pounds of trash each year, but we also provide education programs to 30,000 children, teens and adults each year.
  • Our One-Stop Recycling Resource. The only one of it’s kind in our area, www.wastefreesd.org is your go-to place to find out where to recycle anything and everything, as well as how to properly dispose of hazard waste like oil, paint and electronics.

From 7am TODAY to 7pm TOMORROW you can support us and show that YOU love a clean San Diego too! Donate through The San Diego Foundation’s GiveBIG Event and a portion of all online donations made to I Love A Clean San Diego will be matched by the Foundation! To learn more about I Love A Clean San Diego, visit our website www.cleansd.org.  

Click here to DONATE NOW!

Don’t Dump Your FOG Down the Sink!

With the holiday season approaching, many people will be cooking up delicious meals to feed their family and friends. What does yummy food have to do with FOG?  FOG stands for  fats, oils, and grease. Just like grease clogs your arteries, when you dump it down the sink it clogs the County’s arteries–the sewer system. 

This doesn’t just apply to large amounts of FOG, like the leftover oil from your deep fried turkey.

When any amount of cooking oil, butter, shortening or even heavy sauces  are dumped into your kitchen sink, it accumulates inside the sewer pipes making it difficult for wastewater to flow to the wastewater treatment plant. This includes wastewater draining from toilets and showers. When wastewater can’t make its way through the sewer pipes, it can overflow into your home, streets, lawns, and stormdrains, eventually making its way to the ocean. Not how you want your holidays to end!

Instead of dumping FOG down the sink, collect your used cooking oil for proper disposal at a local collection facility. To find the closest drop off location, check out our One-Stop Recycling Resource, www.wastefreesd.org.

A few common myths about FOG:

Myth: Wash grease with dish soap.
Fact: Even though soap breaks up grease, it loses its effectiveness downstream, allowing grease to solidify on the pipe walls.

Myth: Running hot tap water will help grease float in the sewer pipe.
Fact: Running hot tap water will NOT help grease float through the sewer pipe because the water will eventually cool as it flows through the pipe and the grease will become solid again.

Myth: Pour cooking oil at room temperature.
Fact: Cooking oil such as canola and olive float on water and adhere to the sewer pipes. It is best to  avoid pouring oil down the drain altogether to avoid sewage problems.

America Recycles Day 2011!

Every year on November 15th communities across the country come together to celebrate America Recycles Day, a day dedicated to educating and motivating our neighbors, friends and community leaders to recycle!  

America Recycles Day logoThis year, over 800 students at Los Coches Creek Middle School participated in an EnviroFair in celebration of America Recycles Day her in San Diego. I Love A Clean San Diego and The County of San Diego worked together to educate 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students about recycling and the importance of conserving the environment.

Activities included a lesson on recycling rules  and a fast and furious Recycle Relay by I Love A Clean San Diego educators, a composting discussion and demonstration by the Solana Center, watershed model presentations and water quality testing from the Splash Science Mobile Lab, and informational booths and recycled giveaways from Allied Waste, the County of San Diego, and I Love A Clean San Diego.

Greg Bledsoe of NBC San Diego caught some great action shots during the day, click here to view the video!

Los Coches Creek Middle School already has their own recycling program in place, with bins in classrooms and around campus. Shauna Stueve, a teacher at the school, gets help from students to ensure that the program runs effectively and that all recyclable items are placed in the correct bins. The EnviroFair showed students why their recycling efforts are so important. According to Robert Wade, a science teacher at Los Coches Creek Middle School, “Students were engaged and challenged by your staff and they all came away with global ideas they could implement in their daily lives.”

Immediately after school, many of the students and teachers joined I Love A Clean San Diego in a community cleanup in the area surrounding the school. Trash and recyclable materials were collected separately, and many students were surprised at how much litter they found in their community. Sonja Washer, a math and science teacher at Los Coches Creek middle school thanked I Love A Clean San Diego after the event, saying, “Thank you again for your concern for our environment and for educating our students so our futures are cleaner.”

One-Stop Recycling Resource

Have old paint cans, batteries, or electronics lying around the house? I Love A Clean San Diego provides San Diegans with an online recycling database, www.wastefreesd.org, plus a bilingual hotline (1-877-R-1-EARTH) that offer useful tips for safe disposal of paints and other household waste. This information about waste disposal and recycling helps to prevent illegal dumping, and prevents hazardous materials from entering our landfills, stopping serious environmental problems before they happen. In 2011, we provided referrals to keep 19,000 items out of local landfills!

Protect Our Environment, Safely Dispose Your Prescription Drugs

Got drugs? This Saturday, October 29th, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. This is a great opportunity to safely dispose of any unwanted and unused prescription drugs. Why would you want to take part in this? Disposing of drugs in other ways is likely to pollute our environment!

A 2002 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study found organic wastewater contaminants, including many pharmaceutical and personal care product contaminants, in 80 percent of 139 streams sampled in 30 states. We want to prevent this from happening! Do your part and help protect our environment.

You can click here to find a collection site near you. Stop by anytime between 10am and 2pm. If you are not able to make it this Saturday, be sure to visit ILACSD’s One-Stop Recycling Resource or call ILACSD’s Recycling Hotline at 1-800-237-BLUE to find the nearest location where you can dispose of your prescription drugs any day of the week.

Just another way that ILACSD is here to help protect our environment and improve the quality of life for all San Diegans!