As another summer holiday approaches and draws large crowds to local beaches, the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition (SDCBC) prepares to protect the coastline from litter and the additional waste produced at the beach as a result of increased visitors. I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD), FreePB.org, the City of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department, and local businesses – which together make up the SDCBC – are placing temporary bins along San Diego’s busiest beaches and bays over long holiday weekends to tackle the issue of beach and marine litter.
On Tuesday, July 2, the SDCBC held its 12th annual Fourth of July weekend event in Pacific Beach, which provided first-hand information from the City Attorney’s office, local law enforcement, and corporate partners about how beachgoers can reduce waste and protect San Diego’s coastline during the holiday weekend. More information about the coalition is available atCleanBeachCoalition.org.
San Diego’s beaches and bays are expected to be packed this summer with both locals and visitors coming to enjoy the beautiful views and perfect weather. Due to the spike in the number of visitors at the beach, permanent trash receptacles become inundated with large amounts of litter. To alleviate overflowing receptacles and reduce marine debris, the SDCBC will place 150 temporary trash and recycling bins along San Diego’s most heavily-trafficked beaches: Mission Beach, Mission Bay, Pacific Beach, and Ocean Beach during the summer season holidays.
On top of diminishing San Diego’s natural beauty, marine debris also poses a serious health threat to local wildlife and negatively impacts water quality. Over the SDCBC’s 12-year history, these temporary bins have helped keep litter off the beach and out of the ocean. The bins have already been put to good use this year over the Memorial Day weekend.
The SDCBC encourages beachgoers to prepare ahead of time to reduce the amount of trash that will be produced. SDCBC recommends using a hard plastic cooler or insulated bag as an alternative to Styrofoam coolers. Pack a refillable water bottle instead of single-use plastic bottles. Also, eliminate the need for sandwich bags and food wrappers by shopping in bulk and packing reusable food storage containers. SDCBC urges all beachgoers to leave the coast in the best possible condition after visiting.
Major support for this year’s efforts comes from The Coca-Cola Foundation, Think Blue San Diego, PB Shore Club, Mavericks, the Heller Foundation, and Bumble Bee Seafoods. Additional information about the campaign is available at CleanBeachCoalition.org.
In addition to the CBC bins, I Love A Clean San Diego is also holding the Mission Beach Park site of Surfrider’s Morning After Mess Cleanup on Friday, July 5 from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers can register to join at CleanSD.org.
