Over 6,000 Volunteers Celebrated Earth Day by Cleaning Up San Diego from Creek to Bay

This past weekend, we celebrated Earth Day by hosting our 16th Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup where we empowered an estimated 6,000 volunteers to give back at 113 cleanup sites around San Diego County! Volunteers including residents, corporate groups, and civic organizations transformed their appreciation for San Diego’s environment into action for Mother Earth by putting in the time and effort to give back in their local communities. During this three-hour cleanup, volunteers enhanced the overall health and beauty of San Diego’s natural environment by removing more than 175,000 pounds of trash and debris from San Diego County.

Volunteers joined site captain, Brittany Novick (Miss Scuba International), to help celebrate her birthday and Earth Day by protecting the environment at the Mission Beach Belmont Park cleanup site!
Among the debris, there were several notable odd items collected during the cleanup including: 19 shoes at one site, a giant teddy bear, and a bathrobe.

Volunteers also restored the local environment through beautification projects such as painting park structures, planting native plants and trees, mulching, and weeding. Thanks to thousands of volunteers, 113 parks, beaches and community spaces received special care to keep the area healthy and beautiful for the community.

Painting was just one of many beautification projects that volunteers could take part in on top of litter removal at Creek to Bay!

Creek to Bay was an opportunity for the community to go green in more ways than one. With a push toward zero waste practices, we encouraged all youth and adult volunteers to be more sustainable by choosing to bring at least one reusable item for the cleanup like a water bottle, work bucket, or gloves. Many stepped up to the challenge! Volunteers could showcase their zero waste commitments in the Sony Photo Contest with the 2018 theme of “Rocking Reusables” or by entering the Bling Your Bucket Contest. Both contests offer prizes to the winners to celebrate their sustainability and creativity.

Gabriel used recycled items to decorate his bucket for the Bling Your Bucket Contest helping cut back on the waste created at the cleanup!

Creek to Bay also received attention from several of San Diego’s elected officials who visited cleanup sites in their respective districts including:

  • San Diego City Councilmembers Barbara Bry, Myrtle Cole, Mark Kersey, David Alvarez, and Georgette Gomez
  • Assemblymembers Todd Gloria and Shirley Weber
Councilmember Bry helps kick off the Creek to Bay at the Scripps Pier site!

The entire I Love A Clean San Diego team could not be more thrilled and inspired by the results from the Creek to Bay Cleanup. Joining the team this year as Community Events Coordinator, Nik Kennedy reflected on his first Creek to Bay Cleanup experience:

This was my first year planning Creek to Bay, and after months of preparing it was amazing to be a part of the event! From recruiting volunteers to organizing activities, I was excited to see so many neighborhood volunteers come out and beautify Azalea Park and all of San Diego County! This was such an undertaking, and it was incredible to watch all of our work pay off for a cleaner environment.

Major thanks go out to all of our sponsors for the Creek to Bay Cleanup!

Creek to Bay would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and partners! Thank you all for your commitment to a clean, green, and beautiful San Diego!

Thank you to all of our Creek to Bay sponsors for investing in a cleaner San Diego!

City of San Diego, Think Blue
Wells Fargo
CBS 8/CW San Diego
Republic Services
EDCO
Walmart
Cox Communications
County of San Diego
County of San Diego Watershed Protection Program
Project Clean Water
Anheuser Busch
City of San Marcos
General Dynamics/ NASSCO
Dart Container
Sony
Bank of America
Dudek
Teledyne Instruments, Inc
San Diego Regional Airport Authority
City of La Mesa
Port of San Diego
City of Imperial Beach
City of Chula Vista
Michael Baker International
U.S. Bank
BAE Shipyard
Brown and Caldwell
Mitchell Financial
City of Escondido (Utilities Department)
City of Escondido (Recycling Division)
Dog Beach Dog Wash
Power Crunch

From the entire ILACSD team, THANK YOU to every volunteer, partner, sponsor, and community member who made Creek to Bay such an incredible success! We couldn’t do it without you!

Be a Wave of Change at Kids’ Ocean Day

This May, I Love A Clean San Diego will bring 1,000 elementary school students, teachers, and volunteers to the beach to become a living piece of artwork at South Mission Beach to celebrate the annual Kids’ Ocean Day. Through a partnership with the California Coastal Commission, ILACSD will host San Diego County’s 20th Annual Kids’ Ocean Day! Kids’ Ocean Day kicks off before we even reach the beach with in-school assemblies to educate the students on the importance of our ocean, how it is being harmed due to human actions, and how we each play a role in protecting the health of our oceans. Then, on May 24th, these students will unite in a beach cleanup, followed by the formation of an image only visible from the sky. Check out the video below to get a glimpse of what to expect at Kids’ Ocean Day.

This year, the statewide theme is “Waves of Change,” evoking the powerful force we can be when united in our actions. Forming the aerial art message through the collective efforts of each individual sitting in the sand is a perfect metaphor for how our combined daily habits like refusing single-use plastics have incredible power in shaping the health of our environment. We are grateful to have so many young participants engaging in this cause and hope this event will propel their momentum in acting as wise environmental stewards.

Revealing I Love A Clean San Diego’s 2018 Kids’ Ocean Day “WAVES OF CHANGE” Aerial Art Design:

2018 Kids’ Ocean Day Aerial Art Design

 

If you would like to be a part of this event, we’re looking for adult volunteers (18 years of age and older) to lead students during the cleanup and the aerial art. If you’re interested, you can find more details on the Kids’ Ocean Day event page or register here! As a thank you, all volunteers will receive a photo of the completed aerial art image as a keepsake! We hope you’ll come together with us this year to be a wave of change for our environment!

The Low Down on Recycling Lithium Ion Batteries

Big news out of San Diego recently hit the recycling world. Zheng Chen, an assistant professor and nano-engineer from UCSD has developed a new method to recycle lithium-ion batteries. More specifically, according to a report by the San Diego Union Tribune, “He has developed a way to recycle used cathodes from spent lithium-ion batteries and restore them to the point that they work as good as new.” Considering those cathodes contain cobalt, a rare earth metal with a finite supply, this type of recycling has a momentous impact on the future of the tech world, most notably electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles use lithium-ion batteries that use rare earth metals like cobalt that have a finite supply.

So what does this mean for you? Well, maybe you saw an article headline and figured you can start tossing your lithium-ion batteries into your blue bin (false!). Or maybe you’re confused because you thought you already recycled all of your batteries. While the energy in the battery itself may not be reusable (at a large scale just yet), the materials themselves are 100% recyclable. With lithium-ion batteries powering many cell phones, laptops, power tools, and other electronics, it is likely we all have a few of these floating around our home. However, according to Chen, less than 3% of lithium-ion batteries around the world are recycled. For that reason, it’s important for us all to have accurate information on the proper way to handle these batteries at the end of their lifespan. We enlisted our friends over at Universal Waste Disposal Company to help us give you the low down on recycling lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable.

Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable, but even rechargeable batteries have a lifespan. Once a lithium-ion battery is completely spent or degraded, it should be properly stored until it is able to be recycled. While you cannot simply recycle these in your blue bin, according to California Law (AB1125)  most retailers that sell rechargeable batteries are required to accept and recycle these consumer batteries. If you prefer a drop off option, you can check with local retailers to find one that accepts lithium-ion batteries. For pick up recycling services, businesses like UWDC specialize in universal waste recycling.

Until you are able to recycle your lithium-ion batteries, it is extremely important to store them properly. You’ve probably heard stories of cell phones exploding or catching fire. This is related to the battery within the phone. When lithium-ion batteries “catch fire” or “explode” they are experiencing thermal runaway. Thermal runaway is essentially a chemical reaction inside the battery producing heat that causes additional chemical reactions that result in increasing heat until there is nothing left to react. So be very cautious if your device begins smoking, sizzling or popping. Stay alert! Lithium-ion battery packs typically contain several cells. If your device does catch fire, even though one cell may be extinguished, the residual heat may cause thermal runaway in the adjacent cells.

The number of lithium-ion batteries that are recycled is very low since they are housed inside of many devices. The batteries commonly remain in our homes when the old device gets tucked away in a drawer or storage space.

 

Thermal runaway can be the result of design flaws (inadequate venting, poor chemistry, inadequate safety features), user damage (dropping, crushing, puncturing), improper packaging or storage, or improper charging (wrong charger, cheap chargers, overcharging). To prevent thermal runaway, proper care and storage are key. While the battery is still in use, keep them out of the heat and freezing temperatures, use the charger that came with the lithium-ion powered device, keep them dry, and avoid overcharging them. When your batteries are at the end of their life, make sure to store them at room temperature. Tape over the terminals so that they do not make contact with each other. 

The future of the environment is our responsibility and in this case, it’s the law. Batteries of all types must be recycled. Please be sure to locate an authorized battery recycler in your area to properly recycle your used batteries.

Lakeside Tire Collection

EDCO, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), and the County of San Diego Departments of Public Works and Parks & Recreation are hosting a FREE Tire Collection Event. Bring your tires, scrap metal, appliances, and green waste to properly dispose of at this collection day! This free service for community residents will be offered from 7:30 AM – 12:30 PM on Saturday, April 14, 2018, at Lindo Lake Park located at 9841 Vine Street, Lakeside, CA 92040.

Tire Requirements:

  • Passenger vehicle tires only.
  • No tires from businesses.
  • Tires must be reasonably clean of dirt.
  • Only 9 tires per vehicle.
  • A limited number of tires with rims will be accepted.
  • Call 1-877-713-2784 to request pre-approval for tires with rims and loads of more than 9 tires.

Green Waste

  • Self-unload only.
  • Accepted materials: Tree limbs, plant and grass clippings, leaves, & untreated wood.
  • NO trash. NO bags.
  • NO treated wood. NO rootballs.
  • Free mulch for residents: self-load only.

Scrap Metal & Appliances

  • Accepted materials: Metals, appliances, metal car parts

For more information or for preapproval call: 1-877-R-1-EARTH (1-877-713-2784) Se Habla Español

 

This is not an ILACSD volunteer opportunity.

Household Hazardous Waste, E-Waste, and Tire Collection Event

San Diego County’s Department of Environmental Health and Department of Public Works are holding a FREE household hazardous waste, e-waste, and tire collection event at Pine Valley County Park located at 28810 Old Highway 80, Pine Valley, CA 91962 on Saturday, May 12, 2018, from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. This event is open to all residents living in unincorporated parts of the county.

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE is unused or leftover portions of products containing toxic chemicals used to maintain your residence. Products labeled Caution, Warning, Danger, Poison, Toxic, Flammable or Corrosive are considered hazardous.

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE INCLUDES:

 

  • AEROSOLS
  • ALL PURPOSE CLEANERS
  • ANTIFREEZE
  • AUTO BATTERIES
  • AUTO FLUIDS
  • DISINFECTANTS
  • GASOLINE (w/container)
  • LIGHTER FLUID
  • USED OIL/OIL FILTERS
  • LATEX / OIL-BASED PAINT
  • PESTICIDES
  • POOL CHEMICALS
  • SOLVENTS
EMPTY CONTAINERS: Empty containers can go into the trash or be recycled.

ELECTRONIC WASTE INCLUDES:

  • COMPUTER/T.V. MONITORS
  • CELLULAR & CORDLESS PHONES
  • CENTRAL PROCESSING UNITS (CPUs)
  • PRINTERS AND SCANNERS
  • STEREO EQUIPMENT
  • VCRs AND DVD PLAYERS
  • FAX MACHINES
  • MISC. COMPUTER COMPONENTS
  • FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS
  • COMMON BATTERIES (AA, AAA, C, D, AND BUTTON)

TIRES:

  • Limit 9 passenger vehicle tires per trip.
  • Tires must be reasonably clean.
  • No tractor/commercial tires.
  • No tires on rims will be accepted without pre-approval.
  • Call 1-877-R-1-EARTH for pre-approval or for loads of more than 9 tires.

Transportation Requirements: 

Leave products in the existing container, if possible. Make sure lids are on tight so containers will not leak. Transport containers in the trunk or in the back of the vehicle away from passengers and pets. Do not transport over 15 gallons or 125 pounds at one time. Containers used for transport must be no larger than a 5-gallon bucket.

Home generated “sharps” including syringes and lancets will be collected during this event. Please transport in closed rigid containers.

Not Accepted:

  • Business waste
  • Ammunition
  • Explosive and radioactive material
  • Medications
  • Air conditioners
  • Large appliances

Note: This is NOT a volunteer opportunity. 

Preventing Food Waste in an Instagram Foodie Culture

Open your Instagram account and click on the explore page, it won’t take too long for most of us to find images of vibrant, crunchy, creamy, steamy, buttered, drizzled, crystalized, smoky, aged, boiled, briny, cheesy, absolutely delightful images of what is on their plate! These days, foodie culture dominates social feeds. The farm to table movement is bigger than ever. We have never been so in tune and in love with what we are eating until now.

Documenting meals for online followers is a normal habit for foodies.

So with that, let’s imagine you just spent all afternoon preparing a pie for dinner guests. You’re are so pleased with the steaming, flaky pie that sits on the counter in front of you. It’s so aromatic and intense that you can recognize each type of fruit in the medley that is making your senses come alive! You cut it into 10 slices, making sure each one is piled high with perfectly candied pastry dough. You are almost ready to serve it to your guests, but before you even unveil it at the dinner table, before you even leave the kitchen, you scrape 4 pieces of pie directly into the garbage. It hits the trash can with a miserable thud, the amber colored gelatin is sliding down the plastic bag and the slices look more like your cat’s food than a guest-worthy dessert. While this might seem like an insane thing to do, it is a realistic picture of the amount of food being wasted in our society.

Sorry, what was I talking about? I am only thinking about pie now…

In the United States, 40% of food goes uneaten. The average Californian throws away 24 pounds of food a month. How can it be that in a time when we are so infatuated with our food, that we are wasting so much? Food waste occurs at many levels – at the farm, at the store, in our fridges, and off our plates. Farmers who grow produce that is considered too ugly, too small, too large, too uneven, or a little colorless are pushed out of the marketplace due to the retailer’s demand for consistency. Food is also lost in transportation. Food spoils in the store and in our refrigerators, but it’s not just food we are discarding without a second thought. We are squandering all of the resources that go into the production and distribution of food! Nationally, 80% of our water, 10% of our energy, and 40% of our land is utilized to grow our food. Despite all of the resources we put into the production of food, it is the leading material in our landfills! In the Miramar Landfill, 40% of the total waste is organic material that could have been mulched, composted, fed to animals, or in some cases, fed to people.

Realizing all of your food doesn’t have to be picture perfect is an easy way to prevent food from going to waste.

Our food systems are not perfect, but together each and every one of us can take a stand against food waste. Even small adjustments to our behavior can create impactful change! Here are a few simple suggestions to help you get started or continue your food waste prevention:

Shop Smart

  • Be prepared: create a shopping list with menus in mind to avoid impulse buys
  • Set a time frame: this gives you less time to buy things not on your prepared list
  • Know what you need: keep stock of what you have at home, note items as they run out to help create your shopping list
  • Be realistic: if you live alone or only need one carrot for a recipe, don’t buy a whole bag
  • Bulk is better: buying in bulk requires a little forethought and planning but is definitely worth it
  • Cut your costs: if you crunch the numbers, bulk purchases typically cost less per unit

Sensible Storage to Slow Spoiling

  • Practice first in, first out habits: move older products to the front of the fridge and stock unopened newer items in the back
  • Monitor what you throw away: throwing away half a loaf every week? Start freezing it.
  • Dates, not deadlines: know that expiration, best by, sell by, and use by dates, are not an exact science but merely manufacture suggestions
  • Leave a little room: don’t overcrowd your fridge, the air needs to circulate
  • Figure out your fridge’s compartments: your fridge has a crisper for a reason and the fridge door is warmer than the shelves
  • If you don’t know, ask: utilize the Alexa Save the Food skill to ask where and how you should store your items while unpacking groceries (like storing your asparagus cilantro, celery, carrots in water to make them last longer)

Creative Cooking

  • Use it up nights: designate one evening a week to focus on using up open items in your fridge
  • No tops or stems left behind: use every part of the produce you can – broccoli stems, beet tops, carrot tops, leave the skin on cucumbers, blend your smoothie with strawberry leaves on
  • Wilted doesn’t have to mean wasted: use your food up, wilted veggies can go into a stir-fry or soup, bruised fruit can be added to a smoothie or applesauce, old cheese rinds can make soups, juice pulp can be utilized numerous ways (bread, guacamole, power bites bars)

Serving, Snacking, and Sensing Satiation

  • Avoid over ordering: if you’re often ordering too much food, try splitting a meal with a friend or ordering smaller portions when out
  • Know your limit: don’t feel guilty if you don’t clean your plate as long as you save and store whatever is remaining
  • Leftovers tonight means lunch tomorrow: take your leftovers home or save anything you cooked but couldn’t finish (don’t forget your reusable containers for leftovers)
  • Smaller plate, smaller portions: we often over serve ourselves because the plate has room – a smaller plate can help you decrease the amount you dish up

Now go enjoy your food and extend its shelf life!

Break Out Your Take Out Container Day

Step up to sustainability with ILACSD and the City of Chula Vista when you Break Out Your Take Out Container. We are excited to help spread the word about zero waste practices and make it easy for residents to implement these practices into their lives. Stop by one of our outreach booths on Saturday, June 22 from 11 am – 2 pm to pick up your own FREE reusable take out container!

At three locations throughout Sommerset Plaza West, ILACSD will be talking with community members about sustainability and building zero waste habits. Communities member will then be able to put that information into action by using the FREE reusable take out containers that will be handed out. Stroll around the plaza, enjoy a bite to eat, and take home your leftovers in a container that won’t end up in a landfill!

Stop by the ILACSD booth and grab your reusable container at one of the following locations:

Pozoleria Dona Maria 
MexiPino Craft  
Yingli Restaurant  

We hope to see you there!

Event Flyer (English)
Event Flyer (Spanish)

South Bay Earth Day

Join ILACSD at South County’s largest Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 6, 2019, from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm at Memorial Park located at 373 Park Way, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Enjoy fun activities and a showcase of products and services to help you reduce your impact on the environment, save money and live greener and healthier. Celebrate your love for the planet and be inspired and empowered to help its natural resources. Attendees are encouraged to ride your human-powered vehicle (your bike!) to lessen your carbon footprint – we’ll even provide a monitored bike parking corral.

Don’t forget to stop by the ILACSD booth where we will be teaming up with the City of Chula Vista to bring you informative, mini-versions of our Zero Waste Workshops throughout the day! These 30-minute long workshops will highlight different zero waste practices you can implement in your everyday life. The mini-workshops will have hands-on activities to participate in, but supplies are limited. Make sure to get to the booth on time as supplies will be handed out on a first come, first serve basis (limit one per household).

The event is completely FREE, family-friendly, and open to the public. We hope to see you there!

Zero Waste 101 Mini-Workshop Schedule:

11:15 – 11:45 am Zero Waste 101 What is zero waste? Can I recycle this? Discover how simple it is to be sustainable and lower your impact on the environment by shifting small, daily habits.  To help you begin your journey to reusing and repurposing, we will help you transform t-shirts into tote bags!
12:15 – 12:45 pm Eco-friendly Bathroom Much of our overlooked waste begins in the bathroom! Come learn green beauty and hygiene tips that you can implement into your daily routines. We will even teach you how to make your own toothpaste in a reusable container!
2:15 – 2:45 pm Save Your Scraps Did you know 40% of our food goes to waste in the US? Learn how to keep organics out of the landfill through smart shopping, storing food properly, and composting your scraps. You can also sample a yummy, package-free snack!
3:15 – 3:45 pm Green Routines Come learn how to set up your home for zero waste success! We will discuss topics such as pollution-free laundry and DIY cleaning. Leave with a sample of soap berries- a natural, biodegradable alternative to laundry detergent!

Volunteer at South Bay Earth Day:

WE NEED YOU! We are looking for volunteers to be Zero Waste Heroes that help guests “walk the talk” of sustainability at South Bay Earth Day. Our Zero Waste Heroes will oversee 8 trash and recycling stations across the festival and advise guests into which bin they should put their waste.

We are looking for a committed, outgoing, and exciting team to help us divert waste from the landfill and recycle as much as possible! This is an amazing opportunity to educate guests about new recycling updates and ways they can reduce waste in their everyday lives.

We will provide all the training you need, but would love to work with folks that have some interest in recycling and sustainability. We provide community service hours and free T-shirts for everyone that joins us!

There will be 2 shifts available for the event:
  • 11:00 am – 1:00 pm (Please arrive by 10:15 am for a brief training and to receive your T-shirt)
  • 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Please arrive by 12:15 pm for a brief training and to receive your T-shirt)

If you want to make a difference with us at South Bay Earth Day, please complete and submit the registration form. Each volunteer must submit a registration form. Our team will reach out to you soon to discuss the upcoming event details, training sessions, and answer any questions you may have.

For a map and directions, click HERE.
For the waiver, click HERE.
Register today!

Everyone is welcome to join us! Please tell your friends and family about this awesome opportunity, and sign-up today!

The Right Way to Recycle: Hard Drives and their Confidential Contents

As many of us at ILACSD know, one of the biggest barriers to getting folks to recycle is a lack of education on what is recyclable and how easy it can be! With seemingly constant changes to the items that can or cannot go into a blue bin, residents are often left feeling a little confused. Today, let’s take a moment to talk about the right way to deal with an electronic waste item that might cause some confusion: hard drives!

Inside every computer is a hard drive containing important, often sensitive information.

As many individuals and businesses understand, hard drives house loads of confidential and sensitive information. While it is very important to recycle or donate our e-waste items like computers, it can be frightening to think of our important, private information ending up in the wrong hands. Luckily, there is an option to help you responsibly recycle your e-waste items and securely destroy your data all at once: hard drive shredding!

Hard drive shredding destroys your confidential information and allows the scrap metal to be recycled!

Our friends over at Universal Waste Disposal Company offer this data destruction service through their Black Belt Data Destruction program. Black Belt Data Destruction is a mail-in hard drive shredding service developed specifically for small businesses, large corporations, government entities, AND everyday consumers. They offer various pricing options for this recycling service dependent on your personal needs and even offer bulk discounts.

How It Works:

When you purchase a Black Belt Data Destruction Kit, your old hard drive can be mailed-in using the provided tamper-proof sealed envelope. Once discretely packaged hard drives arrive, they are destroyed using state-of-the-art shredding technology to cut hard drives into tiny pieces recognized only as scrap metal and circuit board.

To ensure your sensitive data is properly destroyed, each kit comes standard with Certificate of Destruction and an encrypted video recording detailing the process from start to finish. With the Premium HDD Kit, you can even join a private live feed at the time of your choosing to watch as it takes place. The entire process lasts 2-3 minutes.

A Safe and Sustainable Solution

Whether you’re an individual or you run the IT department at a business, it is natural to want a sense of security when it comes to our confidential information. Hard drive shredding services like Black Belt Data Destruction can offer that peace of mind. On top of that, by utilizing this service, scrap metal is able to be recovered and recycled to help cut down on the demand for virgin materials. With the high demand and production of electronics, we are constantly seeing innovative ways to reuse, reduce, and recycle our e-waste. With hard drive shredding, we can responsibly recycle e-waste with confidence that our privacy is being protected!

Vista Oil Filter Exchange Event

The City of Vista in collaboration with AutoZone will be holding a free Oil Filter Exchange Event on Saturday, April 20, 2019, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM at the AutoZone located at 573 W. Vista Way, Vista, CA 92083.

Bring in a used oil filter and receive a new one free of charge! Free offer valid only during the event date and time at the location listed above.

LIMIT 1 FREE FILTER PER PERSON.
LIMIT 5 GALLONS USED OIL PER DAY, PER PERSON.

Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
Please note: This is not a volunteer opportunity.