Can you believe it’s already September? In the ILACSD office, that means we’re in full swing for Coastal Cleanup Day! It seems unreal that it is less than two weeks away. As we amp up for this huge day of action for our environment, we wanted to take some time to show some love to our cleanup sites that are still in need of more volunteers! Volunteers are encouraged to register at a cleanup site in need today at CleanupDay.org!
Stop inland trash and debris from making it out to the beach this Coastal Cleanup Day!
While the beach locations are a big hit for Coastal Cleanup Day, it is still vitally important to spread out our efforts throughout the county. San Diego County has 11 different watersheds that carry debris out to the coast and ocean. This year, we want to encourage volunteers to explore a newer area also! Stop debris from even reaching the beach where it is more likely to end up in the ocean and affect the wildlife.
With over 100 cleanup and beautification sites throughout San Diego County, Coastal Cleanup Day offers this unique opportunity to explore new areas in your own town! Volunteers can find a new area for hiking or a neighborhood park they never knew about before. Check out some of the sites listed below to find a new site you’d be interested in volunteering at on Coastal Cleanup Day. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your new favorite hidden gem in San Diego!
Click any of the sites listed below to take you directly to the registration page for that location. If you have any questions about these sites or Coastal Cleanup Day in general, feel free to reach out to our Community Programs Coordinator, Michelle Freeman.
Central San Diego:
Alpine Creek before volunteers cleaned it up last year on Coastal Cleanup Day.
Did you know that the Tijuana River Valley is home to two dozen sensitive species and 340 bird species? With 1,800 acres of diverse habitat, it is a special sight to see! Help us remove trash and harmful waste from this unique and sensitive habitat and prevent trash from reaching the ocean shores!
Join ILACSD and WiLDCOAST on Saturday, September 30th from 9:00 AM – 12:0 0 PM for our Tijuana River Valley Cleanup!
Last year we removed over 6,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from the river valley! Come with us this year for this truly rewarding experience! Help us practice and promote zero-waste practices by bringing your own reusable supplies like buckets, gloves, and water bottles, though we will have extras on hand too!
All volunteers are required to sign a waiver, of which volunteers under the age of 18 will need an additional parent/guardian signature.
Volunteers will meet at Dairy Mart Road Bridge near 2411 Dairy Mart Road, San Diego, CA 92154.
I Love A Clean San Diego and the City of Chula Vista are excited for this year’s Beautify Chula Vista Day! Join us on Saturday, October 21st from 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM and help us celebrate Beautify Chula Vista Day’s 15th year by giving back to the Chula Vista community with a cleanup and several projects! This event as a whole has made an extensive impact on the City of Chula Vista and will continue on its path to make a difference for the years to come! It is truly amazing the results that can come from one morning with hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers!
This year, volunteers can meet us at one of the following two locations: Rice Canyon at Discovery Park (700 Buena Vista Way, Chula Vista, CA 91910) or Otay Rec Center (3554 Main St, Chula Vista, CA 91911)! Volunteers will pick up trash, remove graffiti, and complete other projects that make Chula Vista shine. More information about the event can be found at www.BeautifyChulaVista.org.
Waiver forms are available online or at the cleanup site. All volunteers are required to fill out a waiver form to participate, and anyone under the age of 18 needs a parent or guardian signature. Signed forms will be made available to volunteers who need verification of service hours. We will have all supplies needed at the cleanup site, but we encourage volunteers to bring their own reusable items (water bottles, work gloves, and buckets) if they have them to promote zero waste practices!
This year’s Coastal Cleanup Day is set for Saturday, September 16th from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. One local wetland has benefitted from the work of a dedicated group of volunteers for the last 25 years, and it is once again set to be a site for the annual volunteer effort.
Paradise Creek Educational Park is a public park in the Old Town neighborhood of National City that was designed to increase environmental stewardship and to provide a place of respite in the busy city. Paradise Creek has flowed out to San Diego Bay as part of the Sweetwater River watershed for thousands of years. In 1999, the non-profit organization, Paradise Creek Educational Park Inc., formed to carry out the mission of advocating for and preserving the salt marsh wetlands. Since that year, a group of community members, teachers, students, families, and others have been holding Creek Day cleanups on the last Saturday of every month.
On this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day, the park will hold a small celebration of the recent completion of work carried out by the City of National City. Come out and take a walk through the new entry way of native plants at 1815 Hoover Avenue in National City. Also, there is a new schoolyard garden that can be visited. Check out the Paradise Creek Facebook page for more information.
There is still time to register to volunteer at the Paradise Creek site on Coastal Cleanup Day. Head over to CleanupDay.org to sign up at Paradise Creek or one of the other 100+ cleanup sites in San Diego County for Coastal Cleanup Day and be a part of this international day of action!
As anyone with kids knows, parenthood isn’t always easy. Add in the decision of leading a zero waste lifestyle and it can seem next to impossible. However, being a zero waste parent is not as far-fetched as it might seem. We’ve tackled a few zero waste parenting ideas in the past. And yes, it can take a bit more effort at first, but the small steps you take now will set your children up for a brighter and cleaner future! With that in mind, let’s get into our next zero waste parenting adventure and head back to school!
Go green with your Back to School routine!
Back to School season instantly conjures up ideas of supply lists and packing school lunches. Those ideas are usually accompanied by images of wasteful wrapping, plastic cutlery and sandwich bags, and a graveyard of old school supplies buried in some closet. With a few quick swaps on your supply list and ditching those single use items, greening up your Back to School routine can be much simpler than you would ever imagine.
Reduce, Reuse, or Repair:
When reviewing your new classroom needs for your kids, our first suggestion when it comes to zero waste habits is to reduce, reuse, or repair first. Is that lunch box from last year still in good condition? Can the scissors from years past be utilized again? If supplies from previous years are still usable, you should definitely reuse them! Make your supplies stand the test of time by opting for more classic designs. If you have simple prints and colors for lunchboxes and backpacks, there is less need to replace them year after year. If you have some broken items previous, try to repair them before you replace!
While you may not be able to utilize last year’s supplies every time, there is still the option to invest in reusable supplies going forward. This is especially important when it comes to school lunches. With a few extra minutes a day, you can make every school lunch much more sustainable. Swapping any single use item is a simple rule of thumb – switch from plastic sandwich bags to beeswax wraps or reusable snack bags, opt for a reusable utensil option over plastic cutlery, and ditch your single use plastic water bottles and grab a refillable alternative!
Invest in reusable lunch time alternatives! Don’t forget your reusable lunch bag!
Lunch isn’t the only time you can find sustainable alternatives! Check out the Everlast Rocket Book, a smart notebook that allows you to catalog your notes online. Once you use the notebook, you’re able to upload your notes, effortlessly clean off the book, and reuse the same notebook over and over!
Repurpose, Donate, or Recycle:
When you’ve exhausted your ability to reduce your single use items, repair broken supplies, and reuse anything you can, our next zero waste step on the list is to repurpose, donate, or recycle. Thrift stores are always a great option for Back to School shopping. There is also ample opportunity to donate and recycle your kids’ old supplies. One of the best parts of going zero waste is finding all of the organizations that are trying to make it as easy as possible. Crayola runs a Colorcycle program collecting and recycling old Crayola markers. Old binders of any brand can be donated to Office Depot for a recycling program they’re running in partnership with TerraCycle. You can also save $2 on a new binder when you donate an old one!
Follow these 4 steps from Crayola’s website to be an Eco-Cool School!
There are plenty of ways to go green even during the Back to School madness. With a little extra time, this whole zero parenting thing isn’t really all that difficult…well, no more difficult than parenting in general.
When I first heard the idea of a “clothing swap,” I was at San Diego Leaders 2020’s Bites & Bigwigs luncheon with I Love A Clean San Diego’s (ILACSD) former Executive Director, Pauline Martinson. Over lunch, she discussed her career, ILACSD’s mission, and ways in which San Diego could reduce its waste. When she mentioned swapping clothes with a group of friends as a way to reduce waste and save money, I was instantly hooked. I had a growing pile of clothes I outgrew mentally and/or physically, and I knew my five best friends from college would give each piece a second life. Right after the lunch was over, I sent a group text to my friends and we planned a clothing swap party for our reunion in the mountains.
The concept of a clothing swap was not entirely new to me. I had rifled through my best friends’ clothing donation piles before they were taken to a charity, and my friends were welcome to any clothes I didn’t wear anymore. But I had never thought about doing one with the entire group as a way to help the environment. It made complete sense.One Green Planet summed up clothing swaps perfectly by saying, “Every piece of new clothing (if not made sustainably) can be the product of countless chemicals, dyes, and the like, all of which can be harmful to the earth, air, groundwater – as well as the people making the clothing and even the people who try it on and then wear it.” This doesn’t even include the significant amount of clothing that winds up in a landfill.
The day of the swap, each of us grabbed our overflowing bags of clothes and sat in a circle. I looked around me and thought about what each girl would bring to the pile. I could count on my friend Ollie for soft basics in neutral colors. Mary works at Nike headquarters so I knew I could get some cute workout clothes if I was quick enough to beat out the other girls. Marissa could be counted upon to provide trendy work clothes. And last but not least, Tristan could provide me with colorful dresses and tanks. We seized each other up and poured out the contents of our bags into the middle of the circle.
From the moment the last article of clothing hit the ground, the girls and I jumped into action. Mary picked up Tristan’s puffy vest, excited to wear it during Portland’s winter. Ollie went straight to my old ripped shorts since her pair recently broke. Tristan quickly grabbed Mary’s Nike running clothes to wear for her half-marathon training. Marissa grabbed a long skirt that was suitable for work. I quickly sifted through the pile and threw anything of interest behind me. I ended up with two workout tanks, one black-and-white striped shirt, one off-the-shoulder white blouse, and a soft pink ombre shirt. I was already planning on purchasing a few of these items, but now I had them for free!
When the mayhem subsided, I looked around the circle and saw how happy everyone seemed. Everyone got several great new pieces of clothing without much bloodshed and our old clothing found a second life with very happy new owners. We went around the room and excitedly shared what each of us picked up.
After we finished our oohing and aahing at the new clothing each of us got, I turned my attention to the leftover pile in the middle. To make sure everyone had seen everything, I held up each abandoned piece before putting in a charity donation pile. These clothes weren’t picked up for various reasons but weren’t loved any less. There was a dress we thought was too short for us tall people, a pair of jeans that didn’t fit any of us anymore, and random items that we already had in our closets. We donated this pile to charity for others to enjoy.
Here were my key takeaways…
The clothing swap was a lot of fun for everyone.
I love clothes.
I love the word “free.”
It warmed my heart to see perfectly good clothing go to someone new.
My bank account is sure happy about this.
The environment is sure happy about this.
Have the girls and I already planned another one of these for our winter reunion? Yes, we have!
This post was authored by guest contributor, Lia Bruce. Lia is a San Diego native and formerly the Communications Coordinator for Climate Education Partners, housed at the University of San Diego. She enjoys painting, hiking, singing in a community choir, traveling, and searching for the best burger.
End your summer on a good note and join ILACSD and the San Diego County Parks and Recreation for a cleanup at Sweetwater Regional Park on Saturday, September 2nd from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM!
Join us in our efforts to keep our watersheds clean this year and prevent trash and debris from traveling through our watersheds and reaching the ocean! Volunteers will meet at 3260 Conduit Road, Bonita, CA 91902.
Practice with us a zero waste lifestyle by bringing your own reusable items such as a bucket, work gloves, and reusable water bottle!
All volunteers must sign a waiver form in order to participate. Any volunteer under the age of 18 needs a parent or guardian signature as well.
Did you know that there are 11 different watersheds in San Diego? Join ILACSD and the Lakeside River Park Conservancy to clean up the San Diego watershed so that only leaves are left behind!
The event is on Saturday, September 9th from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at 12108 Industry Rd, Lakeside, CA 92040.
Have you thought about zero waste practices, but don’t know where to start? Bring your own reusable items such as water bottles, work gloves, or a bucket and help us reduce the amount of trash we create during this cleanup! Spread the word and invite your friends and family to join us!
All volunteers are required to fill out a waiver form, of which any participants under the age of 18 will need a parent/guardian signature.
Did you know that 80% of coastal debris stems from inland sources? Explore and protect San Diego’s canyons and waterways at I Love A Clean San Diego’s Clean Canyons for a Clean Coast Cleanup at Adobe Falls! Hosted in partnership with the California Coastal Commission’s Adopt-A-Beach Program, this cleanup will help remove litter and debris from entering our oceans by collecting it at an inland location. With your help, we can eliminate trash and waste before they pollute our ocean and help protect and preserve Adobe Falls’ natural state!
Please note, this event is not suitable for children. ILACSD suggests volunteers for this event are 15 years old and up. The cleanup location is in a riverbed surrounded by dense trees and shrubbery, is accessed by a steep hill, and does not have established paths. Come prepared to get your hands dirty and explore a hidden treasure!
Volunteers will meet at the gate on 5767 Adobe Falls Road, San Diego, CA 92120.
We will have cleanup supplies, snacks, and water. We also provide community service hours and Letters of Appreciation for volunteers. This is a great opportunity for students and families to learn ways to protect our local environment!
We encourage volunteers to bring their own reusable items such as water bottles, work gloves, and buckets to promote zero waste practices. This helps us in our mission to have a zero waste, litter free and environmentally engaged San Diego region!
All volunteers are required to fill out a waiver form to participate. Anyone under the age of 18 needs a waiver signed by their parent or guardian.
Registration officially is open for San Diego County’s Coastal Cleanup Day! While the name Coastal Cleanup Day suggests that this cleanup is all about the beach, many of you already know ILACSD’s volunteer efforts reach far beyond the coast. With eighty percent of marine debris originating in inland areas, at ILACSD we have expanded our Coastal Cleanup Day reach to include both inland and coastal territory. This year, sixty-five percent of the cleanup sites are located inland along rivers, creeks, canyons, and urban areas with the aim to stop debris before it makes its way to the ocean. We even have 3 clean ups happening on the water with kayaks! With 114 cleanup sites last year, volunteers removed 185,000 pounds of debris from San Diego County – the equivalent weight of 10 garbage trucks! Help us remove even more trash and debris and beautify our county by getting registered for this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day on September 16, 2017, from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM! Get registered now at www.CleanupDay.org!
Cut back on waste by bringing your own reusable buckets, work gloves, and water bottle if you have them!
In an effort to reduce waste produced by an event of this size, Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers can pledge to bring at least one reusable item to the cleanup. When volunteers bring their own reusable water bottle, work gloves, and bucket to collect litter, they prevent thousands of single-use bags and disposable gloves from entering San Diego’s landfills. When you register, please consider pledging to bring one of these items with you (or all three)! Once again, we will be having our “Bling Your Bucket” competition for Coastal Cleanup Day. Participants have the opportunity to decorate their reusable buckets showing off their creativity and imagination and submit photos for the chance to win fun prizes and have their picture posted on the Coastal Cleanup Day website for one year! Volunteers of all ages are also encouraged to participate!
Participate in the Sony Photo Contest for the chance to win a Point & Shoot Camera!
The Sony Photo Contest is also returning to Coastal Cleanup Day! While you spend the morning helping to preserve our environment, snap some pictures of all of your hard work! After attending Coastal Cleanup Day, participants can submit their best photo from the event into the competition where the top five finalists will be put to a vote on the ILACSD Facebook page. The winner will receive a Sony Point and Shoot Camera!
We also collect valuable data about the debris collection that helps us understand how we can better prevent litter. Instead of using paper data cards, ILACSD is asking volunteers to download the Ocean Conservancy’s user-friendly mobile data collection app, Clean Swell, onto their smartphones as another way to cut back on waste.
Bring the whole family and join us for Coastal Cleanup Day on September 16th!
Not only will we be removing litter on Coastal Cleanup Day, the event also includes beautification projects such as graffiti removal and replacement of invasive species with drought-tolerant alternatives. Volunteers who signup will work with ILACSD to preserve and enhance San Diego for current and future generations to enjoy. Leading the way to a zero waste, litter-free, and environmentally engaged San Diego region, ILACSD encourages all community members to take action in their neighborhood by joining us on September 16th. Registration information and details regarding Coastal Cleanup Day can be found at www.CleanupDay.org.
