Preventing Pollution at the Source: Top Litter Items Found at San Diego’s Largest Cleanup
Every spring, thousands of volunteers across San Diego County take to the streets, parks, and beaches to fight pollution during San Diego’s largest earth month cleanup event—Creek to Bay. While the goal is to remove waste from the environment, many commonly found items should not have ended up as litter in the first place. Many of the items found during the cleanup require special handling to be properly recycled or disposed of safely.
What Happens to the Waste We Collect?
San Diego’s largest cleanup is also a recycling education experience for residents. Each Site Captain (the lead volunteer at each cleanup site) is given a recycling cheat sheet provided by San Diego County that determines how the litter will be sorted.
Here are three commonly found items during cleanups and what should be done with them to keep them out of our waterways:
1. Plastic Utensils
Plastic utensils, even if labeled “compostable” are considered landfill waste and should go in the trash.
2. Soft Plastics and Wrappers
Candy wrappers, chip bags, and other soft flimsy plastic belong in the trash. These items can clog the recycling facility sorting lines if put in your recycling bin. Many grocery stores around the county offer soft plastic drop off points. Find one near you at wastefreesd.org
3. Hard Plastics
Water bottles, plastic containers, and other hard plastics should be put in your recycling bin to give them a second life. Remember to be sure these items are empty and dry with minimal food and liquid residue before recycling.
What About Other Odd Finds?
Batteries, E-Waste, and HHW
Batteries, paint, and small electronics like headphones and chargers are some of the most hazardous items found during cleanups. If thrown in regular trash, they can leak toxic chemicals or even start fires in waste trucks and facilities. Staff and volunteers are trained to set these items aside so they can be taken to designated household hazardous waste facilities. You can find a safe disposal site for different Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste items at WasteFreeSD.org.
A Lasting Impact Beyond Cleanup Day
San Diego County Park Ranger Nathaniel Powell emphasizes the importance of protecting our diverse habitats beyond the beaches:
“Since San Diego County is the most biodiverse place in the continental United States, protecting habitats such as chaparral, coastal sage scrub, riparian, and mountain environments is as important as protecting our beaches. Most of the trash that ends up in our oceans comes from inland areas.”
Understanding where to properly dispose of these commonly found items to prevent them from littering our environment is key in ensuring protection of our beaches, parks, canyons, and more.
WastefreeSD.org is an all in one database for your recycling questions. The site will tell you different drop off points across the county for various hard to recycle items, keeping them out of our environment.
Clean Up with Us on April 26th
The County of San Diego, a proud supporter of Creek to Bay, ensures that volunteers have the resources they need to make a real impact. Whether you live near the coast, in a suburban neighborhood, or in a rural community, there’s a cleanup site that needs you.
On Saturday, April 26th, grab your friends and family and be part of the solution. Sign up at creektobay.org and help protect Your Neighborhood, Our Earth.
