Tag: cleanup

WasteFreeSD tips for a weekend off the grid

Today’s blog comes from ILACSD’s Education Manager and outdoor enthusiast, Erika! In preparation for Memorial Day Weekend, one of the busiest times of the year for San Diego’s outdoor spaces, Erika has put together her top eco camping tips! Whether you’re going to the beach or the desert, you’ll be able to fully enjoy your holiday weekend!

Summer is approaching, and with that, you will most likely find me outside camping. One thing that really bothers me when I am in nature is seeing trash. To do my part, I try to camp, zero waste style. At first, I thought it would be difficult to ditch granola bars and instant coffee but realized I am much healthier and happier when making less waste. The most important thing is to plan ahead and be prepared.

Zero waste food - eco camping — Do some meal prep before your trip to save time and minimize waste!

When it comes to camping, most waste is generated with food. We have become so reliant on the convenience of instant meals but rarely think of the health and environmental implications. To combat this, follow these eco tips:

Stove: Between me and my friends, we have a Jet Boil and camping stove, making cooking a synch. Take it one step further: buy your gear used! Check out Geartrade.org or your local REI for great used deals!

Utensils: A lot of people bring disposables when camping and picnicking but it is incredibly easy to wash your dishes at the campground. To save on water, I bring a tub to contain that water. Remember to use biodegradable soap!

mesh bag - bulk — Reusable bags are great for produce and bulk food items like coffee and trail mix!

Snacks: Buy ahead of time and in bulk. When buying in bulk, I bring my reusable mesh produce bags to limit my plastic use. Recently, I made a bunch of these bags with different materials and sizes. These bags also make light weight snack bags, when hiking, so I don’t need to use resealable (Ziploc) bags. Click here for instructions to make your own! If sewing isn’t your thing, you can buy them here.

Coffee: Yes, this is a whole separate line…you can buy coffee in bulk, bringing your own produce bag and use a French Press. Another option is getting instant coffee that comes in a glass jar and you can reuse the jar!

Other beverages: Either grab your growler and head to the local brewery or go for cans in a box. Saint Archer and Ballast Point, both sell 6 packs in cardboard boxes, which you can use for a fire starter.

Water: Invest in a reusable water container – they have any size, and with any material – glass, stainless steel, plastic – you name it!

Ice: I tend to shy away from packing items that need ice, so I don’t find this too big of a problem. If you want a cold one, though, use reusable ice packs – you can even make yourself!

Love campfires? Check out these DIY fire starters using toilet paper rolls and dryer lint!

Cleanup: Most people use paper towels, which you can burn in the fire. I gravitate toward bandanas and reusable kitchen towels.

When camping, I have found that I typically use a couple of trash bags, primarily for food scraps and recycling cans. Other than that, I am waste free! Obviously, I am a little more extreme; however, with planning ahead, we can all make a difference in our environment!

If you are more of the staycation type, and plan to hit the beach over this holiday weekend, be sure to keep an eye out for our Clean Beach Coalition bins! Millions of people will visit San Diego’s beaches to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend. To ensure that everyone has a way to conveniently dispose of trash, we place temporary trash and recycling bins throughout Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach. The bins will also be out over the 4^th of July and Labor Day.

And if you’d like to volunteer with us after the holiday weekend to pick up any litter that didn’t make its way into the trash can, we’ll be out at Tamarack State Beach in Carlsbad the Tuesday after Memorial Day. To sign up, click here.

Creek2Bay hits home for ILACSD staff

Today’s blog comes from Annie, our new Hotline Assistant! She joined the ILACSD team in February and now that she has settled into her new role, we’d like to officially introduce her to all of you! Read on to learn more about Annie and find out what made her first Creek to Bay Cleanup so meaningful.

First and foremost, I would like to introduce myself, my name is Anais “Annie” Rodriguez. I have been with the ILACSD team for a couple months as the newest Hotline Assistant. I assist hotline callers with their recycling questions and help maintain the County of San Diego’s Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste Database, www.WasteFreeSD.org. Before joining ILACSD, I graduated from Humboldt State University with a degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Environmental Policy.

As a new team member at ILACSD, the Creek to Bay Cleanup was a completely new experience for me. I was eager to spend time with volunteers and to clean up my community. This year, the Creek to Bay media site was at Southcrest Community Park so this event really hit home for me, since I grew up a few blocks from the park and the areas we cleaned up.

The day started a bit gloomy but cleared up right before the cleanup kick-off, perfect timing! Volunteers at the site were ready to get to work right after registering. I helped volunteers sign up for service projects and handed out supplies.

InvasiveSpeciesRemoval — Lots of large items and invasive plants were found in the creek bed but with the help of our amazing volunteers we removed a lot of it!

EmilyAnais — Emily, Environmental Educator and Annie, strike a pose while sorting trash collected at our Southcrest cleanup site!

When registration was over I sorted out trash in the dumpster with other ILACSD staff. While sorting we found: toilet seats, car seats, metal frames, cans, and bottles. We went ahead and removed all recyclable items and placed them in the correct bin so unnecessary items didn’t end up in the landfill. We also received a few big items like a kitchen sink, a bed, and 3 shopping carts. Unfortunately, many of the big items were found in the creek bed, but with the help of our amazing volunteers we were able to remove it! I immediately saw the aesthetic difference of the creek and reflected on the importance of proper disposal of trash and recycling. One volunteer really stood out to me because he expressed such excitement about what we were doing there and how he is eager to make behavioral changes that will benefit his community.

Besides picking up trash, there were opportunities to participate in a few other service projects at Southcrest Park. Volunteers removed invasive plants from the creek bed, stenciled storm drain along the nearby streets, as well as painted park benches and other areas to remove graffiti. The park was left looking as good as new!

SONY DSC — We’re thankful for the ongoing support of County Supervisor Greg Cox! Here he is lending a hand by painting picnic tables to help beautify the park!

I had an amazing time getting to know our volunteers, working with the ILACSD team, and cleaning up my community! It was also so inspiring to see my nieces and their friends get excited about cleaning up our community. It was also a great example of the importance of not littering! The whole experience left me feeling empowered and motivated; I can’t wait for the next clean-up!

But before we start talking about our next cleanup, we’d like to debut our preliminary totals for this year’s Creek to Bay Cleanup! Drum roll please……..

: left to right: Moriah, Community Program Coordinator; Natalie, Senior Director of Operations; Lexi, Community Program Manager.

We would like to thank all of our 5,700 volunteers who took the time to make their communities clean and ensuring that our local waterways stay free of trash and pollutants! Thanks to your help, we cleaned and beautified a record number of 106 outdoor spaces and successfully removed approximately 125,000 pounds of debris countywide!

We would like to also thank our event sponsors and partners for all the help and a special thanks to Lexi Ambrogi and Natalie Roberts for coordinating such an awesome event.

Be sure to save the date for our next countywide cleanup, Coastal Cleanup Day, happening Saturday, September 19^th, 2015! More information can be found at www.CleanupDay.org.

cleanup Coastal Cleanup Day countywide creek to bay southcrest

Did you resolve to volunteer in 2015? Join us for our 1st cleanup of the year!

Today’s blog comes from our Community Events Coordinator, Lexi! If you have volunteered at one of our cleanups there is a good chance you’ve listened in on one of her safety talks and witnessed her passion for the environment first-hand. Read on to learn more about why you should join her this Saturday, January 17th for one of our most unique cleanups of the year!

Looking to put a spin on your next beach cleanup? Help us comb through the sand at Torrey Pines State Beach on Saturday, January 17! This is the first of our 2015 Tsunami Sweepers Cleanups, a series of volunteer events with a goal of tracking debris from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck the eastern coast of Japan.

When the tsunami waves hit coastal Japan in March of 2011, an estimated 5 million tons of debris washed out into the Pacific Ocean. Of the 5 million tons, the Japanese Government has approximated that 30 percent of it—1.5 million tons—was buoyant enough to travel out into the ocean via wind and water currents.

Over the next several years, Californians should expect to see an increased volume of debris washing ashore—and some of it has traveled very, very far to get here. Thankfully, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) anticipates no elevated level of radiation in any of these items that may have originated near the nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

Bits of polystyrene foam, commonly referred to as styrofoam. — Bits of polystyrene foam (commonly referred to as Styrofoam) never fully degrade and easily mix in with rocks and sand. This is harmful to marine life as they often mistake it for food.

Thanks to the California Coastal Commission, we will be providing volunteers with data cards at these cleanups so that they can search for and track possible debris from this disaster. What will this debris look like? Some expected items include construction debris like lumber or building materials, consumer debris with Japanese characters or text, fishing gear, and polystyrene foam (Styrofoam).

Think it’s easy to identify these items and trace them back to Japan? It may be more difficult than it sounds. Even if our volunteers find large volumes of polystyrene foam debris, it can be challenging—and maybe even impossible—to be able to track it back to Japan. After all, our volunteers find polystyrene foam litter at many of our other cleanups, too.

But we purposefully selected Torrey Pines State Beach as the location for this event. NOAA has estimated that any tsunami debris that does wash up this far south down the coast will hit Torrey Pines, based on water and wind current patterns.

The California Coastal Commission funded a round of these cleanups in 2013, and more than 5,400 volunteers hit beaches up and down the coast to hunt for tsunami debris. While it has been challenging to confirm that any of the items found originated in Japan, many suspicious items have been found, including building materials and lumber with joinery more common to Japan than to US construction.

Volunteers are still needed for this event. To get involved, contact Lexi Ambrogi at lambrogi@cleansd.org or 619-704-2778. Hope to see you there!

cleanup Fukushima litter NOAA polystyrene foam Torrey Pines State Beach tsunami

Tsunami Debris, Paint, and… Intestines? A Creek to Bay Site Captain Profile

The 12th annual Creek to Bay cleanup is coming up on April 26! We like to give our volunteers some background on the site captains who help lead the cleanup, as well as some facts about various sites at which they may volunteer. Today we profiled Wainwright Hester, a long-time C2B site captain and big advocate of cleaning up SD!

Wainwright Hester had been organizing cleanups at his work for years, often at Creek to Bay sites. One year a call went out for site captains and he thought he’d help out and give it a try. Seeing all of the trash that could have stayed in the area without all of the volunteers’ hard work made the whole experience well worth it. Wainwright thinks the C2B cleanup is really important for our local environment. So much debris collects in our waterways that, if not regularly cleaned out, it would cascade into a much bigger problem! If we can catch those containers with paint, oil, or whatever chemical is lurking inside of them, before they degrade enough to leak, we can keep a simple cleanup from turning into a major cleanup. Plus, the longer trash is in our waterways, the more it decays from one big piece into numerous smaller pieces and thus making it harder to completely remove.

This year, as he has in the past, Wainwright is captaining Torrey Pines State Park and, according to the California Coastal Commission, Torrey Pines is a prime site for Japanese tsunami debris to accumulate. Last year he didn’t find any obvious tsunami debris but volunteers could possibly find some this year. When asked what the weirdest object Wainwright found at a cleanup was, he replied, “I was at Ponto State Beach a few years ago and someone found animal intestines. Animal: at least that’s what we kept telling ourselves.” Hey, at least our cleanups are both beneficial AND keep you on your toes?

Volunteers of all ages, helping clean up Torrey Pines State Beach!

Wainwright’s favorite part of the Creek to Bay Cleanup is the volunteers. Since they are volunteering, they often have a volunteering attitude so they are willing to do whatever needs to be done to make his C2B site a success.

Any final words to encourage our wonderful ILACSD team to sign up and volunteer for C2B 2014, Wainwright? “I think that everyone should participate in at least one clean up in their lifetime because it would bring awareness to what actually happens when someone does not throw their trash into a trash can. It would be a real eye opener for people who think that litter is either not a problem or that nature alone can handle it.” We couldn’t put it better. Thanks for all your hard work, Wainwright, and we look forward to seeing you on the 26th!

Join Wainwright at Torrey Pines, or any of our other 90+ inland and coastal Creek to Bay cleanup locations: sign up today!

cleanup creek to bay debris hester wainwright torrey pines tsunami

Loving More than A Clean SD at Cupid’s Cleanup!

We can’t promise you’ll find love, but we do guarantee you’ll have a great time and show your passion for the environment at our annual Cupid’s Cleanup! Join us on Saturday, February 15 for a neighborhood and canyon cleanup in North Park and South Park, and stick around for a fun Valentine’s Day-themed mixer hosted by Thorn St. Brewery.

Volunteers toasting their hard work at a past Cupid's Cleanup — Volunteers toasting their hard work at a past Cupid’s Cleanup

This Valentine’s-themed event isn’t just about picking up litter; it can also be about picking up your future spouse. Yup, this has happened. Not too long ago, at a past Cupid’s Cleanup, Julie and Kenny Potter met and fell in love. Now married, the Potters are pretty solid evidence that our cleanups work both for the environment and for your love life. Check out a cool interview below with these lovebirds. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1WQcKG-g-M&feature=c4-overview&list=UUBOVQBmYOgCNDCZNkQ-RAyw]

And for those of you who have already found your other half, we welcome all volunteers- single, married, kids, and families!

Be sure to join us for the post-event party at North Park’s Thorn Street Brewery: volunteers are invited to stop by for some free beer tasters as a thank you for their hard work.

If you’d like to sign up for this event, contact Lexi Ambrogi at lambrogi@cleansd.org or (619)-704-2778. Hope to see you all there!

xoxo,

ILACSD

cleanup cupid's cleanup julie potter ken potter mixer singles thorn st brewery

Making a Difference, 1,000 Pounds of Trash at a Time

Today’s blog post comes from our wonderful Marketing Intern and cleanup expert, Bri Lobato!

This past beautiful fall morning in San Diego, we came together with Karl Strauss to host a cleanup along the Rose Canyon bike paths and surrounding San Clemente Canyon. Tucked between an active railroad and the I-5 freeway, it offers pleasant views of Rose Canyon’s coastal sage and chaparral-covered hills. It is a car-free space to exercise and unwind without the dangers and sounds of road traffic. San Diego is a very hilly region of Southern California, so during and after rainfall events trash and debris collect in canyons such as this one. Not only does this cause an eyesore for anyone using the paths, but eventually the collected debris is bound to reach storm drains and our ocean.

Community members of all ages were invited to help clean up and join a fun mixer at the new Karl Strauss tasting room (planted just about a football field away from the start of the off- road bike path) directly following. 21+ volunteers were given a voucher for a free brew immediately following the cleanup, and able to choose from their 20-tap array of options! The most impactful and fun cleanups bring people together. The outdoor patio suddenly became a place where everyone was talking about the crazy items they found, sharing information on how they like to stay involved in the community, and enjoying a cold one while they were at it!

The results! Thanks to our 134 volunteers who cleaned up 750 pounds of trash and 158 pounds of recycling!

134 volunteers, 908 pounds of trash and recyclables taken care of, 1 HUGE difference was made! A huge thank you to ecoATM for sponsoring the event and bringing out lots of helpful individuals, and big thanks to all of the families, cyclists, and other San Diegans who took a couple hours out of their Saturday to participate! We hope to pair up with more of San Diego’s breweries in the future for cleanups such as this one.

Interested in volunteering for an event? Check out our upcoming volunteer projects!

beer cleanup Karl Strauss recycle Rose Canyon San clemente Canyon trash

I Love A Clean (and Beautiful) Chula Vista!

We think all of our cleanups are important and fantastic, but one stands out as a bit unique: Beautify Chula Vista Day, this October 12. Beautify Chula Vista Day is significant in many respects. It is a chance for the Chula Vista community to actively participate in enhancing the environment in which they live. Urban litter is not only an eye sore, it also contributes to environmental damage. By properly disposing of trash, waste is prevented from polluting waterways which harm plants, animals, and humans. Reporting and removing graffiti gives the urban landscape a fresh, newly painted start free from vandalism. Volunteers will be removing litter, graffiti, and invasive plants in Rice Canyon at Discovery Park, or can remove litter and graffiti from the surrounding neighborhood at Otay Recreation Center.

Beautify Chula Vista Day is a dynamic community cleanup event organized by I Love A Clean San Diego and the City of Chula Vista, and made strong by thousands of enthusiastic volunteers. We are proud to partner with the City of Chula Vista and show the power of joining forces! Now celebrating its 11th year, this event has made an extensive impact on the City of Chula Vista as a whole, having reached 11 areas with plans to continue on its path to make a difference for many years to come. In the last seven years, thousands of dedicated residents have painted out 4,133 square feet of graffiti, planted 117 trees, and removed nearly 19,000 pounds of debris littering neighborhoods in Chula Vista, showing that huge results can come from volunteers that donate just one morning a year toward helping their community.

Removing grafitti goes a long way towards renewing park space

Volunteers who take part in this special event lead by example, and can be proud that they have personally contributed to a beautiful and clean Chula Vista. This rewarding experience is designed to instill community pride and environmental stewardship. Last but not least, it is also fun!

BCVD chula vista cleanup graffitti litter

Breaking Down Coastal Cleanup 2013!

Today’s blog post comes from our new marketing intern, Bri Lobato. Bri is currently studying environmental science and loves cheese enchiladas and English Bulldogs. We’re thrilled to have her helping out at ILACSD!

As of September 21^st, San Diego is free of 75 tons of debris thanks to each and every one of our 7,500 volunteers this year at I Love A Clean San Diego’s Coastal Cleanup Day! Families, friends, students, sponsors, locals, visitors, and even some loyal pets took some time out of their Saturday morning to help keep San Diego beautiful, and everyone involved made this event more successful than ever. Across a record breaking 102 sites in San Diego County, volunteers of all ages came out to give back to the city they love by picking up litter, participating in service projects, and storm drain stenciling.

Volunteers cleaning a creek bed near Gompers Park — Volunteers cleaning up Chollas Creek near Gompers Park

Kickoff started at 9am at the Gompers Park site where 250+ volunteers heard from Supervisor Greg Cox, Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilmember Myrtle Cole, as well as I Love A Clean San Diego’s very own Executive Director, Pauline Martinson, to get them fired up before going out into the neighborhood and local creek to hunt for waste. News crews were there to capture their influential words about why events like Coastal Cleanup Day are important to both the environment and the community. Volunteers at this site were able to choose among creek cleanup, mulching, invasive plant removal, painting a mural made of tire scraps, trail building and stenciling storm drains, so everyone was able to take part in their own way. No matter the task, every volunteer across the County was given a free Chipotle coupon as a reward for their efforts…and who doesn’t love Chipotle!? When 75 tons of trash is involved, you bet there were some unusual and interesting items we heard about: bowling balls, a rooster, a steering wheel, and even a sweet female pit bull puppy were recovered! (She has been rescued and is on the road to recovery). There was also a “Bling Your Bucket” contest, where kids decorated their own reusable litter hauling bucket.

We found bowling balls! One of ILACSD's staff managed to shot put these guys into the dumpster — We found bowling balls! Some of ILACSD’s staff managed to shot put these guys into the dumpster

"Bling Your Bucket" contest entrants, each doing their part to "make this world happier" — “Bling Your Bucket” contest entrants, each doing their part to “make this world happier”

Shout out to our site captains who were instrumental in making the event run smoothly and effectively. BIG thanks to our sponsors San Diego Gas & Electric, the Country of San Diego, Think Blue San Diego and MANY more for making Coastal Cleanup Day an event that so much of the community could participate in and enjoy! A very special big thank you goes to all of the volunteers who made Coastal Cleanup Day worthwhile, and who made a difference by taking part in the largest volunteer event that San Diego County has to offer. It wouldn’t be possible without you guys! We will see you all next year for CCD 2014!!

CCD2103 cleanup Coastal Cleanup Day intern trash

Show Some Love for Our Coast (and Canyons): Adopt A Beach!

Yesterday, local San Diego company The Control Group rounded up its employees for a cleanup. But this wasn’t just any cleanup- the Control Group was out at their very own “adopted” beach, Pacific Beach. So how can you or your company get in on this cool program, encourage employee engagement, help the environment, and even get free recognition signage?

Adopt-A-Beach gives people of all ages the opportunity to learn about and actively participate in conserving coastal resources. ILACSD’s most popular volunteer program, AAB involves over 10,000 volunteers annually!

The Control Group team, out enjoying their beach

The Adopt-A-Beach program is not just about trash. It’s about the need for clean oceans, shorelines, and waterways. It is about Californians acting together to create lasting solutions to marine pollution. Our oceans and waterways have been a dumping ground for man-made debris. The harmful effects of marine debris are severe and include:

Negative economic and aesthetic impacts
Harm and risk to human health and safety
Injury and death to animals through entanglement and ingestion
Habitat destruction

I Love A Clean San Diego has expanded the Adopt-A-Beach program to include inland areas, in order to highlight the fact that almost 80% of marine debris originates from inland sources. By adopting a canyon or park inland, your group can prevent trash from making its way to waterways and eventually the ocean.

What beach would you chose to adopt? Visit the program website at www.AdoptSD.org for more information and sign up!

You can also help support this free program by providing a donation to ILACSD.

AAB Adopt-A-Beach cleanup corporate Kids' Ocean Day Pacific Beach the control group

Labor Day Weekend Rounds out Clean Beach Coalition Summer Campaign!

The San Diego Clean Beach Coalition, a project of I Love A Clean San Diego, FreePB.org, and the City of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department has been busy this summer working to keep our most popular beaches free of trash!

Remember when this used to be a common sight on local beaches?

The Coalition’s efforts have results in the placement of more than 200 temporary trash and recycling bins, which were purchased to handle the influx of trash and recyclables that accompany the large crowds over summer holiday weekends. This much needed infrastructure prevents litter, overflowing trash cans, and lack of recycling opportunities available at local beaches.

This year, thanks to our generous sponsors, we were able to expand the program into a third holiday weekend, and placed the bins at Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay, and Pacific Beach over Memorial Day weekend. These bins were placed conveniently on the sand, giving thousands of beachgoers the opportunity to make the responsible choice when disposing of trash at the beach. A total of more than 23,000 pounds of trash and 2,000 pounds of recycling were properly disposed of in these bins over Memorial Day weekend, as well as an additional 250,920 pounds over Fourth of July weekend.

CBC2 — Look for these bins on local beaches over Labor Day weekend!

The last hurrah of the 2013 summer season is Labor Day weekend, and the Clean Beach Coalition is poised to finish the summer on a high note. I Love A Clean San Diego, FreePB.org and the City of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department will again disseminate more than 50 trash and recycle bins along the beach. Large pollution prevention banners will also be placed at main lifeguard stations as well as sponsoring restaurants & bars in Pacific Beach.

In addition to infrastructure, the Clean Beach Coalition aimed to prevent litter by creating and disseminating educational messaging reminding San Diegans about litter prevention techniques to incorporate into their weekend and their daily lives. These efforts prevented tons of trash from polluting our beaches and threatening ocean health, but also helped to educate thousands of beachgoers!

The Clean Beach Coalition reminds you to enjoy the scene, but keep it clean. Dispose of all trash and recycling in the temporary receptacles on the sand!

These signs will provide a helpful reminder to beachgoers this Labor Day weekend!

clean beach coalition cleanup labor day litter memorial day