From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 16, an estimated 7,500 volunteers will participate at more than 100 sites across San Diego County as part of the 33rd annual Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by I Love A Clean San Diego. I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) has coordinated this event locally for 31 years and successfully mobilizes thousands of volunteers, while also supporting cleanup efforts in Tijuana. Volunteers of all ages and ability levels are encouraged to sign up for a site in their neighborhood and help leave a lasting impact on the whole region. The kickoff site will be at Golden Hill Park where volunteers will help with service projects at the park and the Recreation Center, including a mural project and mulching. For more information about sites and volunteer registration, visit www.CleanupDay.org.
While Coastal Cleanup Day is best known for its beach cleanup sites, I Love A Clean San Diego focuses the majority of its efforts along inland waterways and canyons where 80 percent of marine debris starts. Last year, Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers removed more than 92 tons of trash and recyclables from local watersheds that otherwise would have polluted San Diego’s coastline and the Pacific Ocean. In addition to trash removal, volunteers will also beautify San Diego County by removing graffiti, planting native species, building trails, and restoring habitats.
ILACSD invites volunteers to take waste reduction into their own hands by pledging to “Bring Your Own” reusable items when they registering at www.CleanupDay.org. Each volunteer who brings a reusable water bottle, work gloves, and/or a bucket to collect litter significantly reduces the need for single-use bags and disposable gloves. Prizes will be awarded to the best decorated buckets entered into this year’s Bling Your Bucket contest.
Utilizing the Clean Swell app is another option for volunteers to help cut back on waste produced at this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteers are encouraged to download the Clean Swell app to replace paper data cards to track the debris collected at this event. The app is free and available to download for both iOS and Android.
Sony Electronics has returned to sponsor this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day photo contest where volunteers have the opportunity to win a Sony point-and-shoot camera. Volunteers are encouraged to submit a photo of their Coastal Cleanup Day experience that best fits the theme, Create Your Litter-Free SD. Photos for the Bling your Bucket and Sony photo contests may be submitted to [email protected].
For more information, to volunteer or donate, visit www.CleanSD.org or call 619-291-0103.