10th Annual Encinitas Sustainable Solutions Fair

Join us for a celebration of all things sustainable in San Diego County! I Love A Clean San Diego, in partnership with the City of Encinitas, is hosting the 10th annual Sustainable Solutions Fair on Sunday, June 22, from 10AM-1PM at the Encinitas Community Park.

This year we’re making the Fair bigger and better than ever – featuring:
• Hands-on low waste DIY activities
• Q&A with a panel of regional experts including representatives from Surfrider, Plastic Beach and EDCO
• Clothing/home items Swap & Shop and donation drop off
• Electronic waste recycling drive with Goodwill San Diego
• Opportunity drawing with prizes from local businesses
• Booths from all different types of sustainable organizations!

Whether you’re new to sustainable living or a zero waste expert, come out to Encinitas Community Park on June 22nd to learn something new and make more environmentally conscious choices in your life!

Walk ins are welcome, registration recommended to stay up to date with all event details and reminders. Bonus – register ahead of time to receive an extra ticket to enter the opportunity drawing!

To Buy or Not To Buy: The Dos and Don’ts of Sustainable Fashion Workshop

Did you know the average American throws away 82 pounds of textile waste every year? Join our free To Buy or Not To Buy: The Dos and Don’ts of Sustainable Fashion workshop at the Point Loma Library on Saturday, June 1, at 10:30 AM to learn how to make your closet more sustainable!

 

We will cover:

  • Textile recycling and upcycling ideas
  • Low waste laundry routines
  • How to mindfully clean out your closet
  • Thrift shopping tips and local secondhand store recommendations
  • The environmental impacts of fast fashion

 

We will have our Swap and Shop booth open for anyone who wants to browse through or donate secondhand clothes, accessories, and other household items! Please ensure all donations are gently-used with no stains, rips or odors. No donation is required to take items from the Swap.

 

Registration is required. Thank you to the City of San Diego Environmental Services Department for sponsoring this event!

 

 

Sustainable Saturdays at Alpine Library

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, Alpine Library Branch, and the County of San Diego for a litter cleanup and clothing swap party in Alpine! We will divert litter from the San Diego River Watershed to keep it from traveling to the Pacific Ocean and create a circular economy with reused clothing items for exchange! Our staff will be set-up with a check-in table and supplies at Alpine Library Branch starting at 9am!

9 a.m. 11 a.m. Watershed Warriors: Alpine Community Cleanup – We will be set up with a check-in table and cleanup supplies at the front of the Alpine Library Branch. Join us to grab supplies and help us cleanup to protect the neighborhood and benefit watershed protection through litter reduction! After the cleanup, you can get service credit in your Community Hub dashboard.

9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Clothing Swap Party – Meet us inside the Alpine Library Branch Community Room! You can update your wardrobe before the winter season and help divert textile waste from our local landfills, helping the environment by creating a circular economy! Bring your gently used clothing items to exchange them for other items at no cost! By participating in the swap, you will be helping to conserve natural resources, reducing the environmental footprint of producing new goods and building community.

9 a.m. – 12 p.m. DIY Holiday Gift Workshop- Upcycle an old jar or container to create a DIY holiday gift! We will be creating reused candles and making cookie-in-a-jar gifts to have for ourselves or to give away during this upcoming winter season! Please register so we know the amount of supplies we need to bring. To take part in the candle wax reuse activity, please arrive before 9:45 AM to allow ample time for wax melting and cooling.

A few things to keep in mind:

You can attend either or both activities separate or together, whatever you have time and interest for!

Please click the registration button below for more information on this specific event location.

Alpine Library Branch- San Diego County Library 1752 Alpine Blvd, Alpine, CA 91901

Sustainable Saturdays in Fallbrook

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, Fallbrook Beautification Alliance, and the County of San Diego for a litter cleanup and clothing swap party in Fallbrook! Our staff will be set-up with a check-in table and supplies at Vince Ross Village Square starting at 9am!

 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Watershed Warriors: Fallbrook Community Cleanup – We will be set up with a check-in table and cleanup supplies at Vince Ross Village Square. Join us to grab supplies and help us cleanup to protect the neighborhood and benefit watershed protection through litter reduction! After the cleanup, you can get service credit in your Community Hub dashboard. Click the orange button below to register for the cleanup!

10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Clothing Swap Party – You can update your wardrobe before the winter season and help divert textile waste from our local landfills, helping the environment by creating a circular economy! Bring your gently used clothing items to Vince Ross Village Square and exchange them for other items at no cost. By participating in the swap, you will be helping to conserve natural resources, reducing the environmental footprint of producing new goods and building community.

A few things to keep in mind:

You can attend either or both activities
separate or together, whatever you have time and interest for! The cleanup will kick-off at 9 a.m. and the Swap Party will be kicking off at 10 am next to the cleanup check in station.

Please click the registration button below for more information on this specific event location.

Vince Ross Village Square 111 S Main Ave, Fallbrook, CA 92028

MLK Spooky Sweep N Swap

Join I Love A Clean San Diego at the Martin Luther King Jr Community Park sponsored by Keep America Beautiful and Clean CA, for a morning of activities to celebrate Halloween and help us all be more sustainable! Join us at 9 a.m. for a litter cleanup around the neighborhood, and/or 10 a.m. for a Tote Bag Craft and Swap Party at the Park. 

9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Martin Luther King Jr Community Cleanup: We will be set up with a check-in table and cleanup supplies at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Join us to grab supplies and help us cleanup to protect the neighborhood and benefit watershed protection through litter reduction! After the cleanup, you can get service credit in your Community Hub dashboard

10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tote Bag Craft and Clothing Swap: Join staff in crafting your own sustainable tote bag made from upcycled t-shirts with an option to decorate them to be trick-or-treat bags! Bring last year’s Halloween costume and swap it for a sustainable fresh look! You can also update your wardrobe before the winter season and help divert textile waste from our local landfills, helping the environment by creating a circular economy! Bring your gently used clothing items to exchange them for other items at no cost. By participating in the swap, you will be helping to conserve natural resources, reducing the environmental footprint of producing new goods and building community

A few things to keep in mind: 

You can attend either or both activities – separate or together, whatever you have time and interest for! The cleanup will kick-off at 9 a.m. and the Tote Bag Craft and Swap Party will be kicking off around 10 am next to the cleanup check in station. 

Whether you are going to one or both activities, register here so we can prepare supplies. You can register for the event by clicking “Register” below. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 6401 Skyline Dr, San Diego, CA 92114

Fix it, Swap it!

Join us for our Zero Waste event at the San Diego County Spring Valley Branch Library – Bring in an item to repair and some clothing to exchange! Get help fixing everything from computers and coffee makers to toys, clothes, and bikes!

  • 5 pm – 8 pm: Swap Party and Fixit Clinic with @sdfixitclinic
  • Location: Spring Valley Library- 836 Kempton St, Spring Valley, CA 91977

A Few Friendly Reminders:

  • Registration required for the @sdfixitclinic so we can be prepared with supplies, tools, and volunteer experts.
  • Limit 1 item to be repaired per person
  • No registration required for the Swap Party
  • Limit 5 clothing item donations per person
  • Please bring clothing items that are lightly used- no rips, stains, or odors

 

8th Annual Zero Waste Fair

Join us for a fun and unique celebration of all things zero waste! I Love A Clean San Diego is hosting the eighth annual Zero Waste Fair on Saturday, June 24th, from 10AM-1PM at the EUSD Farm Lab.

Our Zero Waste Fair is back in-person again this year! Come ready to experience a wide array of zero waste activities, including informative panel speakers, booths from sustainable companies, and hands-on low waste DIYs.

This one-of-a-kind event will highlight tips on low-waste living, composting, recycling, sustainable swaps for everyday products, and more. All are welcome – from sustainable living beginners to zero waste experts. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discover local zero waste businesses, and win eco-conscious prizes!

Visit our Zero Waste Fair Website to learn more about the event. Attendees are encouraged to register for free ahead of time. We can’t wait to see you there this summer!

Interested in volunteering? Visit our Community Hub page to register to volunteer!

How to Host a Clothing Swap Party

How to Host a Swap Party

What if there is a way to obtain new items while still being environmentally friendly? What if I told you that you can now go shopping for free? Welcome to SWAP Parties.

What’s a swap party?

  • Swap parties have been growing in popularity and offer an alternative in the way we acquire items for ourselves and our household.
  • Swaps are meet ups where people can bring in second-hand items that they own and exchange them with other items that other people bring at no cost.
  • Beyond being economical, eco-friendly, and an excuse to clean out your closet, a swap party with friends is far more fun than a yard sale with strangers.
  • By participating in a swap, you are helping to conserve natural resources, reduce the environmental footprint of producing new goods, and building community.

How to start

  • Set a theme – A swap party can be for clothing, toys, housewares, pet supplies, books, DVDs – anything you can think of! Decide on the type items that will be collected and exchanged.
  • Pick a space – Find a location that will give enough space for people to sort through items. Friendly Tip, adding clothing racks and full body mirrors will help you stay organized.
  • Gather friends and their excess stuff – For this sustainable get-together, people need to participate and show up with items that can be exchanged! Encourage guests to bring new friends to ensure there are plenty of quality things to trade.
  • Send out e-invitations! There are plenty of services for electronic invitations that are an upgrade from sending a text. Check out Paperless Post, Green Envelope, and eVite.
  • Host your swap at the end of the season when people are cleaning out their closets and looking for new pieces to freshen up their wardrobes.

Tricks of the Trade

  • Be clear about what’s swap-worthy. Ask friends to bring clean goods in gently used condition. Set standards of what will and will not be accepted. Be clear that items with stains, holes, rips or odors should be avoided.
  • Organize the Set Up of the Swap. To help people find what they want, sort items into areas based on type of items, color, and style.
  • After the party, take the leftover goods to your local donation center. Goodwill, schools, theatre groups, and pet adoption centers would love your excess items. Visit WasteFreeSD.org to find donation drop-off centers near you to take all the leftovers.

The most important part of SWAP Parties is, not only to have fun, but also to give a second round of life to pieces of items that would have otherwise ended in the landfill.

Want to attend a swap? Go to our events page to learn more about our upcoming Swap Parties!

 

 

Fallbrook Swap Party

I Love a Clean San Diego is excited to announce the Fallbrook SWAP Party happening on June 4, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Vince Ross Village Square in Fallbrook!

Clean out your closet recently? SWAP Parties are an opportunity to replace your gently used clothing for things you actually need. By participating in the swap, you are helping to conserve natural resources, reduce the environmental footprint of producing new goods, and building community.

RSVP to our event and bring in any gently used clothing items, like t-shirts, jeans, jackets, and trade them for other goods at no cost. Items with significant holes, stains or odors will not be accepted.

We will accept:
✅ Clean, new or used, second-hand items

We will not accept items with
❎ stains, smells, broken pieces

We hope to see you there!

Thank you to the County of San Diego for partnering on this event.

7th Annual Zero Waste Fair

Save the date for a fun and unique celebration of all things zero waste this summer! I Love A Clean San Diego, in partnership with the City of Encinitas, will be hosting the seventh annual Zero Waste Fair on Saturday, June 25th, from 10AM-1PM.

Our Zero Waste Fair is back in-person this year at the EUSD Farm Lab in Encinitas! Come ready to experience a wide array of zero waste activities, including informative presentations, booths from sustainable companies, and hands-on low waste DIYs.

This one-of-a-kind event will highlight tips on low-waste living, composting, recycling, sustainable swaps for everyday products, and more. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discover local zero waste businesses, and win eco-conscious prizes!

Register here and be sure to keep a look out for more event details in the coming months. Can’t wait to see you there this summer!