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. 

Exploring Energy Efficiency

Join ILACSD as we team up with Sullivan Solar Power to bring you a workshop focused on energy efficiency and the climate! On Saturday, March 10th, we will be hosting the Exploring Energy Efficiency: Household Climate Solutions workshop from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in the Multipurpose Room (MPR) located at 9700 Avenue of Nations, San Diego, CA 92131. The event is completely free, family-friendly, and open to the public.

Come energize your commitment to the environment with lessons about how our daily actions affect our world, including a look at ocean acidification. We will give you the tools to implement green practices in your home, including tips to reduce energy waste and how to capitalize on solar power. We’ll also have interactive stations, a kids’ craft station, and more! Registration is free. Light lunch will be provided.

Get registered today.
We hope to see you there!

Healthy Communities for a Healthy Planet

I Love A Clean San Diego is partnering with SDG&E to host Healthy Communities for a Healthy Planet Workshop on Saturday, May 12, 2018, from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM at The Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation located at 404 Euclid Ave, San Diego, CA 92114. Appetizers made from rescued food will be provided by Kitchens for Good!

Learn how making small, sustainable adjustments to your daily habits can improve not only the health of your family, but the health of our planet as well! Join ILACSD and SDG&E for this fun and informative event focusing on climate science. The workshop will feature presentations covering various topics including ocean acidification, green transportation, and energy efficiency. Attendees will also have the opportunity to interact and engage with fun activities and informational booths featuring community partners! During the workshop, attendees will gain information on the importance of a sustainable lifestyle and gain the tools needed to start implementing green practices at home. This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about how and why you should be eco-conscious consumers and local environmental stewards!

Get registered today.


We hope to see you there!

Encinitas Zero Waste Workshop: On the Go

Join ILACSD as we team up with the City of Encinitas to bring you another Zero Waste Workshop! On Saturday, May 5, 2018, we will be hosting the Zero Waste 101: On the Go Workshop from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the EUSD Farm Lab located at 441 Quail Gardens Road, Encinitas, CA 92024. The event is completely FREE and open to the public. This is the final installment of a three-part series on sustainable living!

Come by and learn how to set yourself up for zero waste success while on the go! Visit educational booths, participate in one of the hands-on activities, and bring in gently used items you were planning to donate and participate in the Swap ‘n’ Shop! Swap ‘n’ Shop participants can exchange or donate those items giving them a second life and keeping them out of the landfill. Make sure to stick around for our raffle where you have the opportunity to win sustainable prizes that will help with your zero waste journey!

Get registered today to reserve your spot! We hope to see you there!

Encinitas Zero Waste Workshop: Organics

Join ILACSD as we team up with the City of Encinitas to bring you another Zero Waste Workshop! On Saturday, March 3, 2018, we will be hosting the Zero Waste 101: Organics Workshop from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the EUSD Farm Lab located at 441 Quail Gardens Road, Encinitas, CA 92024. The event is completely FREE and open to the public. This is the second installment of a three-part zero waste series.

Learn how to keep organics out of the landfill by shopping smart, storing food properly, and composting your food scraps. This workshop will also cover water conservation tools, such as ocean-friendly gardens and laundry-to-landscape systems. Participate in one of the hands-on activities that will be available for all ages, including a kids craft and a make-and-take vermicomposting bin! Bring in gently used items you were planning to donate and participate in the Swap ‘n’ Shop! Swap ‘n’ Shop participants can exchange or donate those items giving them a second life and keeping them out of the landfill. Make sure to stick around for our raffle where you have the opportunity to win sustainable prizes that will help with your zero waste journey!

At the end of the workshop, 25 participants will have the opportunity to create and take home a fully-functioning vermicomposting bin (composting with worms). Please indicate your interest on the registration form. Participants will be added on a first come, first serve basis. Due to supply restrictions, we are limited to 25 participants. Please limit one per household.

Get registered today to reserve your spot! We hope to see you there!

Bonsall Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event

The County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health is holding a FREE household hazardous waste collection event at Bonsall Community Center located at 31505 Old River Road, Bonsall, CA 92003 on Saturday, January 6, 2018, from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. This event is open to all residents living in unincorporated parts of the county.

Transportation Requirements: 

Leave products in the existing container, if possible. Make sure lids are on tight so the 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.

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)

Not Accepted:

Business waste, tires, ammunition, explosive and radioactive material, medications, air conditioners, or large appliances.

Note: This is NOT a volunteer opportunity. 

Fallbrook Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event

The County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health is holding a FREE household hazardous waste collection event at Ingold Sports Park located at 2551 Olive Hill Road, Fallbrook, CA 92028 on Sunday, January 21, 2018, from 9:00 am – 2:30 pm. This event is open to all residents living in unincorporated parts of the county.

Transportation Requirements: 

Leave products in the existing container, if possible. Make sure lids are on tight so the 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.

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)

Not Accepted:

Business waste, tires, ammunition, explosive and radioactive material, medications, air conditioners, or large appliances.

Note: This is NOT a volunteer opportunity.