Fiesta Island Cleanup with Junior Achievement Interns

I Love A Clean San Diego has partnered up with Junior Achievement Interns from Lincoln High School to lead a cleanup for the public at Fiesta Island! Volunteers are invited to grab buckets and work gloves and make a difference at one of San Diego’s most popular locations!

With the help of our staff, our interns will have check-in ready for you on-site. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes, closed-toed shoes, and sun protection (sunscreen or a hat), and bring a water bottle or two! We will be providing everything else you will need! After a short orientation and safety talk you will be sent off to remove litter around the area! We will be in charge of sorting and disposing of the collected litter and after the cleanup, you can request community service verification in your Community Hub dashboard.

This event requires a signed release-of-liability waiver for all volunteers, and anyone under 18 needs a waiver signed by a guardian.

Watershed Warriors: Harbison Canyon Cleanup 2/4/23

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, and the County of San Diego for a litter cleanup in Harbison Canyon! We will divert litter from the Sweetwater Watershed and keep it from traveling to the Pacific Ocean.

Our staff will be set-up with a check-in table and supplies at Old Ironsides County Park. Join us at 9am for a talk by our Education Team about our watersheds and recycling right, then grab supplies and help us clean up and remove invasive plants from the creek!

This event requires a signed release-of-liability waiver for all volunteers, and anyone under 18 needs a waiver signed by a guardian.

Watershed Warriors: Flinn Springs Community Cleanup 1/21/23

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, Flinn Springs County Park, and the County of San Diego for a litter cleanup in Flinn Springs! We will divert litter from the San Diego River Watershed and keep it from traveling to the Pacific Ocean.

Our staff will be set-up with a check-in table and supplies at Flinn Springs County Park. Join us at 9am for a talk by our Education Team about our watersheds and recycling right, then grab supplies and help us clean up!

This event requires a signed release-of-liability waiver for all volunteers, and anyone under 18 needs a waiver signed by a guardian.

Sunset Sweep: Navajo Canyon Cleanup 1/19/23

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, Friends of Navajo Canyon, and Think Blue San Diego for a litter cleanup in Navajo Canyon! We will divert litter from the San Diego River Watershed and keep it from traveling to the Pacific Ocean.

Our staff will be set-up with a check-in table at The Navajo Canyon Trailhead. Join us at 3pm to learn about the canyon and recycling right, then grab supplies and help us clean up!

This event requires a signed release-of-liability waiver for all volunteers, and anyone under 18 needs a waiver signed by a guardian. 

38th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day

38th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day

Free online registration opens on September 1, 2022.

Join hundreds of thousands of volunteers all over the world by participating in the 38th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 17th, 2022. Register to be a part of the largest single day environmental action event in San Diego County by removing polluting litter and debris from your community.

By joining forces with I Love A Clean San Diego and getting out in your local community to remove trash, you can support your neighborhood and protect our San Diego watersheds. Volunteers of all ages are invited to grab buckets and work gloves and join one of our 75+ site locations across San Diego County. No matter where you live in the county, every gutter, street, parking lot, park, canyon and beach is in one of the county’s 11 watersheds. The health of these systems means healthier creeks and ocean for all of us!

Registration opens Thursday, September 1 at Cleanupday.org

Officially sign up on September 1, 2022 and get ready to clean up San Diego County on September 17th. Registered volunteers will receive important safety and site resources and information to have a successful cleanup. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Kristin Banks, to register by phone if you do not have internet access: (619)787.4448 Throughout the month of September, we will share event updates and more to prepare you for the big day. Learn more about Troop patches, community service verification, and more at Cleanupday.org.

Volunteer With Us To Support Kids Adopt-A-Beach

Come join us for a Kids Adopt-A-Beach cleanup!

You will be helping to assist a an elementary school summer program in cleaning up Ocean Beach.

We are seeking 10-15 community volunteers to join I Love A Clean San Diego to help these students with their cleanup. You will help hand out supplies, act as a patrol, and guide students along the beach.

Students will be bussed to the beach and arrive around 9:45 am and wrap things up around 11:15 am.

We are asking volunteers to arrive by 9:15 am to help set up materials and pack up any remaining materials after the event and be wrapped up and out of there by 11:30 am. We are happy to verify community service for this event.

Zero Waste BBQ

Zero Waste BBQ

Zero Waste BBQ

Summer means longer days, warmer weather, and spending more time outside. For San Diegans, this leads to beach days, barbecues and other outdoor events! It can also lead to a lot of waste – every summer, I Love A Clean San Diego collects thousands of pounds of litter from our local beaches. For your gatherings this this season, consider going zero waste! I Love A Clean San Diego wants to help you host a low waste barbecue so you can spend less time worrying about trash, and more time focused on fun!

Ditch the Disposables

When there are large groups involved, it can be easy to reach for paper plates and plastic cutlery. However, one plastic water bottle requires 1.85 gallons of water to make. When we throw single use items away, we’re throwing away our natural resources as well. It’s best for the environment to use reusable tableware instead. If you’re concerned about being left with a ton of dishes at the end of the night, ask your guests to BYOP – bring your own plate! Let everyone know you are going for a plastic-free event, and people will be excited to help out. Try cloth napkins instead of paper, or glasses and mugs instead of paper cups. You can even find metal skewers for roasting marshmallows, rather than disposable ones.

Here in San Diego, we are lucky to have so many breweries and wineries close by. Try filling a few growlers instead of opting for bottles and cans, and look for wineries that will refill or reuse their wine bottles.

Forgo Food Waste

In the United States, the average person throws about 3.5 pounds of wasted food per week. In planning your menu for your summer BBQ, look for recipes that have ingredients you can buy in bulk. Reducing packaging during your grocery trip can cut down on your overall waste from the event. You can also do your best to use every part of the ingredient – instead of throwing away your potato peels, bake them into chips!

Try out the recipes below for your next event.

For each, you can use up what you have, or easily find ingredients in bulk or recyclable packaging.

Other ideas include…

  • Making sangria or flavored water with leftover fruit
  • Roasting any wilting veggies on the grill
  • Using the last of that loaf of bread in bread pudding

Set it Up for Success

A key component to any zero waste event is making sure your guests know where and how to dispose of things at the end of the night. Make sure it’s clear which bin is for recycling, where they can put compost, and what they should do with anything that might need to go in the trash. Clearly labelling your bins ensures your guests feel confident enough to sort their waste on their own.

Some quick disposal tips…

  • Glass, metal, paper, and plastic containers can all be recycled
  • Food soiled paper and food scraps from produce can be composted
  • Bottle caps are too small to go into the recycling on their own. Collect these throughout the night and place them in an empty metal can to be recycled.

We know it can be hard to make these adjustments in the whirlwind of party planning but try a few small adjustments and see how easily habits can change. The best part is you might inspire friends and family to think differently about their waste habits as well! Let us know how your zero waste barbecue goes by tagging us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @ILoveACleanSD!

Pick up more tips and knowledge by attending our Celebrate Sustainably: Summer Fun webinar on July 28th! Register here. For more information on how to adopt a waste-free lifestyle visit WasteFreeSD.org. For more information about our educational programs, contact education@cleansd.org.

You’re Invited! Celebrate With I Love A Clean San Diego at Our 65th Anniversary Benefit

I Love A Clean San Diego 65th Anniversary Invite

Raise a glass—and make a lasting difference – at I Love A Clean San Diego’s 65th Anniversary Benefit! We hope you will join us to support our local environment while enjoying a one-of-a-kind celebration on beautiful Mission Bay. Your ticket purchase is not only a gift to support environmental education and volunteer programs that benefit all of San Diego County, but a way to celebrate and network with other influential supporters of our community’s longest-running environmental nonprofit.

5:30 p.m. Social Hour and Networking, Live Music, Hors d’oeuvres, Auctions, and more!

7 p.m. – 8 p.m. One-Hour Dinner Cruise on Mission Bay, Awards, Entertainment (Check-in will close at 6:45 p.m. and all guests must be on board for the 7 p.m. departure)

8 p.m. Cruise ends, dining and entertainment continue!

9 p.m. Event Concludes

Who: More than 200 business and community leaders who support our zero waste vision for San Diego County.

What: An upbeat social mixer and dinner cruise on Mission Bay, featuring live music, entertainment, silent and live auctions, and more aboard the elegant William D. Evans sternwheeler. We will also be recognizing outstanding volunteers, educators, and advocates who partner with I Love A Clean San Diego to inspire conservation and environmental action throughout our region.

Why: 100% of your gift to I Love A Clean San Diego’s work stays local and impacts the communities of San Diego County. Celebrate the history and accomplishments of I Love A Clean San Diego’s nonprofit mission and help raise critical funds to support our environmental education and volunteer programs.

When: Thursday, November 7, 2019 – 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: The William D. Evans sternwheeler, departing from the Bahia Resort Hotel, 998 W Mission Bay Dr., San Diego, CA 92109

Sponsorship opportunities are available! Click here for more details. Can’t attend or interested in making an additional gift? Click here for underwriting opportunities

iHeart Media Cleanup with San Diego County Toyota Dealers

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, iHeart Media, and San Diego County Toyota Dealers for a cleanup at Mission Beach Park, 3000 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109.  All supplies are provided, but help reduce waste by bringing your own reusable water bottle, bucket to collect trash, and gardening or work gloves.  Volunteers are advised to wear comfortable closed toed shoes and sun protection.

Channel 933 will be on site for the cleanup playing music to enjoy while you volunteer!

Unlike our normal cleanups, this cleanup does not have a registration page – just come out and join us, no need to register ahead-of-time.  Volunteers of all ages are welcome to participate, and all volunteers must sign a waiver regardless of age.  Minors under the age of 18 require a parent or guardian signature on their waiver form.

 

iHeart Media Cleanup with San Diego County Toyota Dealers

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, iHeart Media, and San Diego County Toyota Dealers for a cleanup at Mission Beach Park, 3000 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109.  All supplies are provided, but help reduce waste by bringing your own reusable water bottle, bucket to collect trash, and gardening or work gloves.  Volunteers are advised to wear comfortable closed toed shoes and sun protection.

Channel 933 will be on site for the cleanup playing music to enjoy while you volunteer, and all volunteers will score a pair of FREE tickets to the Del Mar Races for participating!

Unlike our normal cleanups, this cleanup does not have a registration page – just come out and join us, no need to register ahead-of-time!  Volunteers of all ages are welcome to participate, and all volunteers must sign a waiver regardless of age.  Minors under the age of 18 require a parent or guardian signature on their waiver form.