From the Executive Director – Our Response to Coronavirus

I Love A Clean San Diego’s Response to Public Health Action and the Coronavirus

As many of you know, I Love A Clean San Diego has served as San Diego County’s go-to environmental nonprofit for more than 65 years. Our adult workshops, classroom education, corporate trainings and community cleanups touch nearly every corner of our beautiful region. We know the current public health environment is impacting your lives both personally and professionally, as it is for us here at I Love A Clean San Diego.

We want to assure the thousands of volunteers and our many public and private partners that we are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of the work we offer to residents throughout the region. As a retired Rear Admiral of the United States Navy, I am personally maintaining consistent contact with my colleagues at the federal, state and local levels so our organization stays in lockstep with the evolving changes necessary to contain and hopefully prevent the spread of the coronavirus in our region.

Our Action

Under the recommendation of public health leadership and to address the financial impacts of contracted work that has been postponed during the coronavirus outbreak, I Love A Clean San Diego is taking the following action:

  • We have postponed all events, workshops and educational activities through March, and will continue to reevaluate further postponement of activities extending into April or beyond
  • As of Wednesday, March 18 the majority of our staff will be working from home, with limited staff onsite to maintain daily logistics
  • All employees including leadership are reducing their hours to part-time beginning Monday, March 23 for possibly the next six weeks or longer to address our financial losses
  • All meetings will be conducted virtually
  • We will continue to update our event calendar at CleanSD.org and provide updates through our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter @iloveacleansd

As a non-profit 501(c)3, we will not be eligible for the government relief currently being considered. Consequently, I Love A Clean San Diego will realize a significant fiscal impact to our organization, but we are confident we are taking the appropriate measures to safeguard the long term stability of the organization and the programs we deliver to communities throughout San Diego County. With your support, we will return stronger than ever with the programs you have come to know and love.

Be Safe

In the spirit of volunteerism and service, which you have demonstrated over the years to make a lasting impact for the communities around San Diego County, the current environment is about all of us. We need to take care of ourselves so we can help those in need through this difficult time. We will get through this together.

Because we LOVE where we live,

Len Hering

Executive Director

I Love A Clean San Diego

Recycle Christmas Trees After the Holidays With WasteFreeSD.org

Christmas Tree Composting

Living and Fresh-Cut Christmas Trees Are Better for the Environment: Compost Them After the Holidays to Avoid Fire Hazard and Reduce Waste

I Love A Clean San Diego and WasteFreeSD.org show County residents how and where to recycle their trees.

A living or fresh-cut Christmas tree is one of the best options in terms of the environment.  Living trees can be planted after the holidays and can even be rented and returned to continue growing.  If you choose a fresh-cut tree, try and support tree farms within your local area.  After the holidays, remember to compost the tree and help close the loop, returning the tree to the earth as mulch. This New York Times Article provides additional commentary. In addition, recycling a tree soon after the holidays also prevents the fire danger associated with a dry tree.

Prevent Fire Danger

After the holidays, County of San Diego residents are encouraged to recycle their Christmas trees as soon as possible to reduce fire danger and minimize the amount of holiday waste sent to the landfill. Dried-out trees are highly flammable and should not be left in a house, garage, or placed against any structure.

“The longer you keep a Christmas tree in your home, the more of a fire hazard it becomes,” said Lorraine Carli, Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy for the National Fire Protection Association.

The San Diego County Fire Authority also advises residents not put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove.

How to Compost Your Tree

Beyond the fire danger dried-out trees pose, they can also contribute to the increase in waste sent to landfills during the holiday season. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, organic materials like Christmas trees, food, and green waste are the number one material sent to landfills, composing two-thirds of the solid waste stream.  Composting these materials preserves space in local landfills, reduces greenhouse gas generation, creates beneficial compost and mulch and removes a potential fire hazard from your property.

Many local waste haulers offer curbside pick-up of Christmas trees and wreaths, in addition to dozens of community drop-off sites. The Christmas trees are ground into mulch, which is then used to improve soil health at public parks, local farms, as well as home and garden landscapes.

Find Pick-up, Drop-off Locations

The partnership between I Love A Clean San Diego and the County of San Diego takes the hassle out of recycling your holiday tree by gathering all your tree-cycling’ options into one list. Most waste haulers pick up Christmas trees in their green waste bins during normal curbside collection days for a few weeks following the holiday. Visit WasteFreeSD.org or call 1-877-R-1-EARTH (1-877-713-2784) for more information or to find a local company that offers pick-up. In addition to curbside pick-up, Christmas tree drop-off sites are located in the following communities:

Bonsall | Carlsbad | Coronado | Del Mar | El Cajon | Escondido | Imperial Beach | La Mesa | Lemon Grove | National City | Oceanside | Ramona | San Diego | San Marcos | Solana Beach | Valley Center | Vista

A complete list of tree recycling locations is also available at WasteFreeSD.org or by calling 1-877-R-1-EARTH.

Christmas Tree-cycling Tips

Before recycling your Christmas tree, review these tips to ensure your tree is recycled properly:

  • For curbside recycling, trees taller than four feet should be cut in half. Most waste haulers will not accept tree pieces larger than four feet.
    • Trees do not need to be cut if recycled at an approved drop-off location.
  • Remove any tinsel, ornaments, garland, lights, nails, tree bags, and tree stands (metal or plastic) before recycling.
  • Don’t Flock trees or check with your local hauler to see if they accept flocked trees (fake snow).
  • Reuse or donate artificial trees that are in good condition.

Avoid Plastic Trees

Artificial Christmas trees are made of non-recyclable plastic and other materials that do not biodegrade.   Greenhouse gas emissions from their production, packing and shipping generates more waste and exceeds that of the energy required to grow and/or transport a tree from a tree farm.  Whenever possible, shop local for a live or fresh-cut tree and avoid the purchase of a new artificial Christmas trees. If you already own an artificial tree, it’s recommended to use the tree for as long as possible and then donate any trees in good condition to avoid sending them to the landfill.

I Love A Clean San Diego operates San Diego County’s official recycling and household waste database, WasteFreeSD.org From Christmas trees to food donations and appliances to cooking oil, I Love A Clean San Diego makes waste diversion quick and convenient through this helpful database. San Diego County residents are encouraged to visit WasteFreeSD.org or call 1-877-R-1-EARTH to learn how to recycle Christmas trees as well as hundreds of other items.

Reduce Food Waste This Holiday Season to Save Money and the Environment

Holiday Banner Graphic

Food is the centerpiece of nearly all gatherings for the holidays. Yet, in the U.S. some 40 percent of all food produced in the U.S.  never gets eaten. Millions of pounds of uneaten meat, gravy, green beans, mashed potatoes and other seasonal trimmings wind up in landfills to rot. In fact, food is the single largest material disposed of at U.S. landfills today, amounting to each person tossing an average of 20 pounds of food per month into the trash at a cost of approximately $1,500 each year per family. This is a statistic San Diegans can change.

Wasted food also wastes money, time, labor, transportation, water and land used to grow the food. And, decomposing food in landfills release methane gas, a climate pollutant that is up to 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide – so, what do we do?

Fortunately, small changes can make a big difference. This holiday season, by following a few simple tips from I Love A Clean San Diego and WasteFreeSD.org, residents of San Diego County can save money and help the environment while enjoying their holiday meals.

Plan to Reduce Before You Buy

The easiest way to reduce food waste during the holidays is to buy and prepare the right amount of food.

Save the Food, a campaign of the Ad Council in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council, created a tool to help save money and time while reducing food waste. Save the Food’s online Guest-imator helps create a menu based on how many people are attending your holiday feast. Try it out here:

Reduce plate waste by using smaller dishes and serving spoons – seriously, it works. Guests can always come back for seconds. Having a plan for leftovers is another way to ensure that the food you prepare is eaten. Provide containers for guests to take home remaining food or use the leftovers in creative ways. There are a number of creative online leftover recipe resources that provide simple solutions.

Vegetable Dishes are Filling and Delicious Substitutions for Meat

Reducing meat dishes and increasing vegetable dishes is just as filling and delicious, and greatly reduces waste. Here is just one of hundreds of resources for vegetarian meals that keep the fall feel of a thanksgiving meal and this site provides suggestions for vegetarian leftovers.

Visit WasteFreeSD.org for more tips, including how to keep fruits and vegetables fresh longer.

Learn More About Reducing Food Waste

Residents interested in learning more about food waste reduction, can visit the County of San Diego’s Recycling website, or attend one of I Love A Clean San Diego’s free, family-friendly Zero Waste Workshops. An upcoming workshop will be hosted in Carlsbad on November 16. Learn more and sign up for the newsletter to receive event updates at CleanSD.org.

Keep Fats, Oils and Greases Out of the Drain

Another important way to protect our environment (and your plumbing) this holiday season, and year-round, is to properly manage used cooking oil.

Deep fried turkeys have become an increasingly popular holiday tradition, but can use up to three gallons of cooking oil. If discarded down a drain like a kitchen sink, oils, fats, and greases may block pipes and cause sewage overflow into homes, streets, lawns, and our ocean, not to mention severely damage home plumbing systems.

Contrary to popular belief, mixing oil with soap or pouring hot water down the drain afterwards are not effective methods for preventing “fat-bergs” that cause sewage backups.

Fortunately, free drop off locations exist for cooking oils.  Collect cooled cooking oils in a secure lidded container labeled “used cooking oil.” Do not mix chemicals or other liquids with the cooking oil. To find the closest drop off location, visit the Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste database, WasteFreeSD.org, or call 1-877-R-1-EARTH (1-877-713-2784).

Coastal Cleanup Day Results: Plastics and Cigarette Butts are Chief Polluters

Coastal Cleanup Day 2019 Group

In just three hours today, more than 6,800 volunteers cleared nearly 145,000 pounds of waste and debris from streets, canyons, parks and the coastline in communities across San Diego County for the 35th annual Coastal Cleanup Day, organized by the nonprofit I Love A Clean San Diego. The day’s environmental protection effort took place at 108 sites around the region and prevented the equivalent of six garbage trucks emptying their contents into the ocean.

For the 35th year in row, since Coastal Cleanup Day’s inception, plastic in all its forms remains the chief polluter collected throughout San Diego County today. From food wrappers to cups and water bottles to fast-food containers, single-use plastics were found across parking lots, public parks, within canyons and around schools.

Cigarette butts remain the most littered individual item. Many cigarette butts were discovered within feet of the water along the coast, trapped in gutters that flow to the ocean, and tossed near waterways in the inland communities. Cigarette butt filters are made of plastic, do not biodegrade and are full of harmful toxins that pollute the environment when left behind.

Among the debris collected were several notable odd items, including a reclining chair, refrigerator, wheelchair, plastic Christmas tree, messages in a bottle at Swami’s State Beach, rice cooker, restaurant pager and a guitar case.

Conservation Tips

  1. Visit WasteFree.org to learn more about how to recycle effectively to reduce contaminated materials from the blue bin. And, see what waste goes to the landfill and use reusable items instead.
  2. Work to eliminate single-use plastics from your lifestyle and switch to reusable alternatives.
  3. Smokers: Please make sure your cigarette is disposed of properly and not discarded on the street. And, if you desire quitting, consult a physician to discuss a plan to stop smoking.

Volunteers included residents, corporate groups, and civic organizations who turned their appreciation for the region’s beauty into action by not only cleaning up waste, but also completing restoration projects such as painting, graffiti removal, non-native vegetation removal, mulching, trail restoration and weeding.

Coastal Cleanup Day was an opportunity for the community members to conserve in more ways than one. As part of the effort to boost zero-waste practices, I Love A Clean San Diego encouraged all volunteers to be more sustainable by choosing to bring reusable items to the cleanup such as reusable water bottles, work gloves and buckets. Volunteers had the opportunity to showcase their creativity and commitment to zero-waste practices by decorating reusable buckets to enter the Bling Your Bucket Contest for a chance to win prizes while celebrating sustainability.

Thank you Sponsors

I Love A Clean San Diego organizes Coastal Cleanup Day in San Diego County in partnership with the California Coastal Commission as part of a global international event led by the Ocean Conservancy. Top tier supporters of Coastal Cleanup Day include Think Blue San Diego, County of San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric, Wells Fargo, Qualcomm Foundation, Cox, SolarTech and Evans Hotels.

Creek to Bay is Next Major Cleanup

Coastal Cleanup Day is one of two annual countywide cleanups, which includes the Creek to Bay cleanup on April 25, 2020, hosted by I Love A Clean San Diego that engage thousands of local families, community groups and local businesses. Beyond countywide events, I Love A Clean San Diego continues to empower volunteers at hundreds of cleanups targeting specific neighborhoods, parks, and open spaces on an ongoing basis throughout the year. In 2018, the nonprofit mobilized over 34,000 volunteers who removed more than 357,000 pounds of trash and debris from the San Diego County landscape. For more information about upcoming cleanups, workshops, or zero-waste tips, please visit CleanSD.org.

San Diego County Volunteers Needed for Coastal Cleanup Day

Sea turtle logo for Coastal Cleanup Day

The 35th annual Coastal Cleanup Day is nearly here. I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) seeks 8,000 volunteers to help beautify more than 100 sites across San Diego County on Saturday,September 21, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ILACSD has coordinated this event regionally for the past 34 years, successfully mobilizing thousands of volunteers throughout the county. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are encouraged to sign up for a site in their neighborhood and help leave a positive impact on the entire region. Online registration is now open at CleanupDay.org.

Coastal Cleanup Day covers more than just the shoreline. ILACSD focuses the majority of its cleanup efforts along inland waterways and canyons. With 80 percent of marine debris coming from inland territories, volunteers learn first-hand the importance of keeping trash out of the region’s waterways, which carries trash and pollutants directly to the ocean through the storm drain system. In 2018, 9,174 volunteers removed over 148,000 pounds of trash, recyclables, and green waste from San Diego and Tijuana regions that otherwise would have polluted the beloved coastline and the Pacific Ocean.

ILACSD invites volunteers to take waste reduction into their own hands by pledging to “Bring Your Own” reusable items when they register at CleanupDay.org. Each volunteer who brings a reusable water bottle, work gloves, and/or a bucket to collect litter significantly reduces the need for single-use bags and disposable gloves. Prizes will be awarded to the best decorated buckets entered into this year’s Bling Your Bucket contest.

The CleanSwell app is another option for volunteers to help cut back on waste produced at this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteers are encouraged to download the Clean Swell app to be used in place of paper data cards to track the debris collected on event day. The app is free and available to download for both iOS and Android devices.

Sony Electronics has returned to sponsor this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day Photo Contest where volunteers have the opportunity to win a Sony Cybershot Camera. Volunteers are encouraged to submit a photo of their Coastal Cleanup Day experience that best fits the theme, Blast From The Past. Photos for the Bling Your Bucket and Sony Photo Contests may be submitted to iloveacleansd@gmail.com.

ILACSD organizes Coastal Cleanup Day in San Diego County in partnership with the California Coastal Commission as part of a global international event led by the Ocean Conservancy. Top tier supporters of Coastal Cleanup Day include the County of San Diego, Think Blue San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Wells Fargo, Qualcomm Foundation, Evans Hotels, Port of San Diego, Cox Communications, SolarTech, Republic Waste Services, and KFMB-TV / CBS 8.  Several corporate supporters plan to mobilize employee volunteers and their families at cleanup sites across the county including SDG&E which has accounted for more than 8,000 corporate volunteers over the last 16 years.

Property Managers Taking Care of Business – and the Planet

.
It is America Recycles Day! ARD serves as the perfect time of year to examine and evaluate your recycling practices at home and in the office. While recycling as an individual makes an impact, one of our partners at UWDC explains how property managers and HOAs can majorly amplify the impact in their communities with tips and best practices. For more information on business waste resources, you can also visit WasteFreeSD.org or attend one of our Green Business Solutions workshops.
By Josh Allen

A thousand diligent people in California managing their waste efficiently can set a great example in a community and make a small impact on the environment.

A thousand diligent property managers, on the other hand, can really move the needle.

California is required to meet a state-mandated 75 percent diversion rate from landfills by 2020. Recycling increases the life of local landfills.

Recycling and environment-based programs in local communities can institute change. Recycling batteries, as well as changing paint and cleaning products, can make a real difference. A community spending over an hour instituting diligent programs can accomplish more than one person moving cans from container to container.

Property managers need to seek good resources for their communities and better avenues for getting rid of material. This starts by seeing trash not just as an isolated incident of trash, recycle, and yard waste, but as a foolproof program, like insurance or fire patrol.

Centralizing the recycling program is key. Keeping the house of vendors managed by property managers under one centralized platform can reduce time, stress, and money. A good waste solution company can make sure property managers are compliant and shield them from fines. Being environmentally friendly is perceived as cutting edge by many associations and can lead to more business.

By doing these things, property managers can remove inefficiencies, and drive business back to itself. Waste solution companies can provide simple, clean billing and prevent property managers from sitting on the phone for hours trying to resolve waste-related issues with disposal companies. Instead of property managers getting the frantic calls from their residents, the call is pushed out instead to waste solution companies, taking a huge burden off these managers.

Property managers are the silent champions. They create better communities, even aside from the “green” things. They save money and time, among other things, because of the practices they tout to their residents.

.

If property managers looked at their communities like companies, they could see that their actions support the cost of doing business and the cost of improving the environment and the community. If communities threw 400 light bulbs into landfills, it wouldn’t ruin the world. The problem is that if every community has that mindset, it can. Property managers can encourage better practice.

Each California resident throws out an average of six pounds of material into landfills, found California’s 2016 Per Capita Disposal Rate Estimate from CalRecycle.

The best property managers divert waste from landfills and do well in the community by educating its board about opportunities, education, and signage.

For property managers with a number of tasks always in motion, outsourcing that responsibility makes budgetary sense. That way, people can work on the property manager’s behalf and work for those who don’t have the time.

We need to look at these as programs – not just trash and recycling. Time, money, and your community’s involvement should all be looked at as a whole and not just problem, problem, problem. Look at it as an entire program: sustainability, waste diversion.

Universal Waste Disposal Company is constantly looking for smarter waste and recycling solutions. Already, UWSD has launched a training site to help cities comply with environmental state laws. UWDS assists HOAs in California and businesses, such as Associa, reach their waste and recycling goals while saving money and resources. The result is full-service solutions that meet customer needs and exceed diversion goals, streamlining services, and managing programs and expenses.

A local example here in San Diego shows potential. The County worked with Summit Property Management to create a recycling plan for the Rancho Villas HOA community of 304 units. The county switched out dumpsters; supplied residents with recycling bags, educational door hangers and recycling guides; digital program announcements on the program and informational tools from county specialists; and recycling carts.

The program also provided bulk item options, light bulb recycling, curbside pickup, battery recycling, and ink cartridge recycling.

Prior to implementation, the HOA provided limited recycling and 10 of 15 enclosures had no recycling. Now, residents have responded favorably to recycling outreach and recycling dumpsters.

Celebrating Impact and Welcoming New Leadership at the Catamaran Wine Mixer

On Thursday, Oct. 11, I Love A Clean San Diego’s supporters, community members, and local leaders gathered at the beautiful Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa for ILACSD’s annual Fall Social, the Catamaran Wine Mixer, an evening celebrating environmental action in our community.

.

This year’s event, which took place as the sun set behind Mission Bay, included delicious food provided by the Catamaran and beer and wine provided by beverage sponsors Baja Brewing Company, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, and Summer Haines; an exciting auction and opportunity drawing; the chance to score premium vintages at the event’s wine pull; a wine tasting sampling a selection of fine wine; live music by Peter Hall; and more!

The festivities were also an opportunity to introduce I Love A Clean San Diego’s new Executive Director, Len Hering. Len began at ILACSD just last week, and we look forward to his leadership as we look toward ILACSD’s future.

The evening’s program kicked off with remarks by District 78 Assemblymember Todd Gloria; Ilsa Butler, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing of Evans Hotels; and Morgan Justice-Black, Community Relations Manager of San Diego Gas & Electric.

The program culminated with an award ceremony recognizing local volunteers, businesses, and community leaders whose environmental commitment make ILACSD’s mission possible. We were pleased to present awards (made from recycled glass!) to this year’s honorees:

Cox Communications:
Corporate Employee Engagement Award

 KP Charpentier:
Volunteer of the Year Award

Todd Linke:
Leading Tomorrow Award

 Rossel & Company:
Zero Waste Innovation Award

Imperial Beach Councilmember Mark West:
Community Collaboration Award

Proceeds from the Catamaran Wine Mixer will help I Love A Clean San Diego share more environmental educational resources, further build community volunteer opportunities, and offer even more zero waste resources benefitting all of San Diego County. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us at this year’s Fall Social for helping us to create a cleaner, healthier, more beautiful San Diego! Check out more photos from the Catamaran Wine Mixer!

.

ILACSD would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support of the Fall Social:

.
.
.
.
.
.

Going to Bat for SD by Stepping Up to the Plate as a Site Captain

San Diego Gas & Electric has been delivering San Diegans their power for almost 150 years. On top of their work providing around 45% clean energy to homes and businesses in this region – compared to an average of 8% nationwide – SDG&E supports many local nonprofits organizations that are working to improve the environment. This year, SDG&E and the San Diego Padres are Going to Bat for San Diego, and teaming up to support I Love A Clean San Diego and celebrate Coastal Cleanup Day.

 

ILACSD is proud to be part of the 2018 Going to Bat for San Diego Starting Lineup!

As a special thank you to volunteers that Go to Bat for San Diego, SDG&E and the Padres are recognizing Coastal Cleanup Day participants with a Volunteer Appreciation Night at the Padres game on Monday, September 17. Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers receive a promo code to purchase discounted tickets and be recognized for their accomplishments in keeping San Diego clean.

 

The 34th annual Coastal Cleanup Day will bring thousands of volunteers together on September 15th to beautify more than 100 beaches, parks, and other outdoor spaces throughout the region. Over the past 17 years, SDG&E has helped support I Love A Clean San Diego’s Coastal Cleanup Day efforts with the participation of thousands of employee volunteers! We are pleased to highlight two SDG&E heavy hitters who have stepped up to the plate to serve as site captains for Coastal Cleanup Day throughout the years.

Crystal Yousef

Crystal and her sidekick, Tipsie, at Coastal Cleanup Day 2013.

Crystal has been an SDG&E employee for 15 years and a Coastal Cleanup Day site captain for close to 10 years. She can always be counted on to go wherever there is a need, and Coastal Cleanup Day has led her on expeditions to Encanto, Poway, Golden Hill, and Rancho Bernardo, among other places.

In her day job, Crystal works at SDG&E’s Environmental Lab, which does environmental sampling and test analyses.  The Lab is certified to test for more than 500 chemical compounds, ensuring that SDG&E facilities are operating safely.

In Crystal’s decade of service at Coastal Cleanup Day, she says her favorite part of the annual volunteer event is seeing kids’ enthusiasm when they find a strange piece of trash. Whether it’s a shoe, a stuffed animal, or even a bathroom scale, kids often burst with excitement recounting where and how they found it, and in some instances, even make up stories for what they think the item is. It’s like trash show-and-tell.

Crystal also notes that she feels a sense of pride each year when she arrives at Coastal Cleanup Day to a sea of Team SDG&E volunteers outfitted in team t-shirts, which for many years were the two-toned tie-dye in the photo to the left. SDG&E and I Love A Clean San Diego are lucky to have folks like Crystal committed to ensuring a safe and successful cleanup for volunteers of all ages! This year, you can find Crystal helping out at the South Shores cleanup site in Mission Bay with Team SDG&E.

Hilary Haskell

Hilary participating in the 2016 City Heights Facelift with Team SDG&E.

Hilary has been an environmental enthusiast from a young age. In fact, in high school she conducted regular beach cleanups, and in college she interned with another environmental nonprofit, Orange County Coastkeeper. Fun fact: during Hilary’s internship, she helped to plan Kids’ Ocean Day in Orange County, aerial art and all! That’s the sister event to ILACSD’s San Diego Kids’ Ocean Day that occurs every spring.

Hilary joined SDG&E a little over two years ago and jumped right in with Coastal Cleanup Day. Last year, she led the San Dieguito Lagoon site for SDG&E, and this year you’ll find her at the Paradise Creek site in National City. Aside from having a good attitude and strong leadership qualities, Hilary brings another attribute to her role as site captain…she knows a lot about the environment! At SDG&E, she makes sure projects like the placing of a new power pole, or even the removal of one, don’t result in a detrimental environmental impact. She’s also one of the company’s leading sustainability advisors, helping to track SDG&E’s environmental performance in key areas.

While Hilary hasn’t been a part of Team SDG&E for very long, we anticipate that her involvement in Coastal Cleanup Day will continue for many years to come!

ILACSD is grateful for SDG&E’s longtime partnership and the hands-on role team members take on to make sure we knock Coastal Cleanup Day out of the park!

Saying Farewell and Looking Forward at Toast the Coast

On Sunday, June 10, I Love A Clean San Diego celebrated our annual Summer Social, Toast the Coast! More than 125 friends and environmental advocates joined us at Karl Strauss Tasting Room and Beer Garden for a fun, family-friendly afternoon featuring craft beer from Karl Strauss, delicious tacos from Rubio’s Coastal Grill, live music from Shannon Patiño, and an exciting raffle that included a stay at the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa, Lauryn Hill concert tickets, and much more.

Musician, Shannon Patiño, rocked at Toast the Coast!
Enjoying Karl Strauss beers
Our guests couldn’t stop smiling after winning a raffle prize!

The event culminated in a celebration of Pauline Martinson, who stepped down after 12 years as I Love A Clean San Diego’s Executive Director, and the extraordinary growth ILACSD has experienced under her leadership. Pauline also announced that Natalie Roberts DeCarli, ILACSD’s longtime Senior Director of Operations, will serve as Interim Executive Director during the transition.

.
We will miss you, Pauline!

Proceeds from Toast the Coast support ILACSD’s efforts to beautify and preserve San Diego County’s beaches, parks, and canyons; environmental education programs for youth and adults, and recycling and zero waste resources.

Buying raffle tickets!
Checking out our cool prizes!

Thank you to everyone who attended or contributed to Toast the Coast! Check out photos from the event on our Facebook page.

.
Who doesn’t love puppies and pints?!
Smiling for a clean San Diego!

We hope you will join us for our next fundraising event, ILACSD’s annual Fall Social, which celebrates environmental action in our community! This year’s event, the Catamaran Wine Mixer, will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 11, at the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa as the sun sets over Mission Bay. Sponsorships are available by contacting Natalie Roberts DeCarli, Interim Executive Director, at nroberts@cleansd.org. Tickets will go on sale August 1. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you so much to our Toast the Coast Sponsors

.
.

Special thanks to Michelle Clifford Freeman for creating the beautiful signs featured at Toast the Coast!

Signs made by Michelle Clifford Freeman
Signs made by Michelle Clifford Freeman

How Do Expiration Dates Work?

Today’s blog post was written by High Tech Middle Media Arts 6th grader, Kaiya. Kaiya’s class studied the impact that humans have on our local water resources and their contribution to food waste on a global scale. The students looked into water and food waste issues locally, statewide, nationwide and globally. The class hopes to educate the local community about waste and pollution issues and inspire change.
Photo credits
Illustration by John Wagner

Have you ever wondered how expiration dates work? Wondered how important they are? Well, I certainly did. So to those who still do, let me explain.

Let’s start with a short history lesson. Expiration dates were introduced in 1950 at a store called Marks & Spencers. It wasn’t until 1970 when “Sell By” and “Best By” tags were added to most supermarkets. Now that our history lesson has concluded, let’s get to the interesting stuff!

Expiration dates aren’t supposed to show a fruit’s edibility, but the fruit’s “peak quality”; not when it’s expired. It’s because of this common misconception that people discard perfectly good food! So actually, expiration dates are optional. They are suggestions meant to assist. It’s more important to know your food and to simply throw it out because of the expiration date.

Oftentimes, grocery stores will throw away their produce once it turns brown.

Well, how and why were they made?

Americans discontinued making their food, but still wanted to be informed about how it was made. This caused the creation of expiration dates. The facilities did tests on fruit, seeing how long they usually lasted. The most common result would become its “expiration date.”

We are wasting food.

When shopping for fruits, people are usually attracted to the apple that has the least bruises, causing an unnecessary amount of food waste. The food that’s wasted converts to a brown lump and produces a white puss. That’s mold. Mold should be thrown out, but if it’s just brown, it should be fine. Brown spots on fruit are sugar spots, meaning they amplify the flavor. They are perfectly safe to consume, but if it’s a blob of brown, you should throw it away. These spots are discovered on bananas when they continue to ripen, due to ethylene. Supermarkets tend to throw away brown fruit because it doesn’t sell. Food is wasted for no reason.

As your bananas begin to brown, throw them in your freezer to make smoothies, or use them to make banana bread!

Why do they become brown?

Brown fruit is oxidized fruit, meaning that air made them turn brown. Brown fruit is still edible! Apples turn brown in recently bitten parts. The brown on parts on apples reduce taste, but it can still be consumed.

Is there anything I shouldn’t eat when expired? Yes. Infant formula loses its nutrients passed its expiration date. Expired deli meats give you food poisoning, as well as eggs. Dairy gets bacteria buildup when it expires, so it also shouldn’t be consumed.

What moldy food can I eat?

Cheese increases in value when moldy. It tastes more flavorful, which makes a higher profit when sold. However, only specific types of cheese are edible with mold. Cheddar, Colby, Parmesan, and Swiss should be fine to consume. Other soft cheeses like cottage cheese, cream cheese, and ricotta cheese with mold should be discarded.

About the Author

Kaiya is a 6th grader at HTMMA. Her blog was democratically selected by her peers to be featured on I Love A Clean San Diego’s website. Her work will be exhibited alongside other students at a community beach cleanup coordinated by the HTMMA students.