REGION — Thousands of volunteers fanned out among coasts and waterways in Del Mar, Solana Beach, and other areas of San Diego County over the weekend to clear debris and trash on Coastal Cleanup Day.
Sept. 21 marked the 40th anniversary of the statewide event, with over 26 million pounds of trash removed by over 1.7 million volunteers since 1985. As of 2023, the top trash item removed during cleanups is plastic and foam pieces, followed by cigarette butts and food wrappers.
The organization I Love A Clean San Diego organized over 100 cleanup sites throughout San Diego County for this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day. Over 3,000 volunteers picked up at least 104,000 pounds of litter and debris, according to initial estimates.
“Today we basked in the ‘why’ behind our work: community, action, and impact,” said Jenny Barros, Director of Marketing and Development at I Love A Clean San Diego. “We watched children become stewards of the earth right before our eyes.”
In North County, volunteers could be seen gathering trash at several coastal locations, including Tamarack State Beach in Carlsbad, San Elijo State Beach in Cardiff, the San Dieguito Lagoon in Del Mar, and more. Inland communities also held street sweeps and cleanups at local trails, creeks and lakes.
In Solana Beach, a group at Fletcher Cove gathered around 30 pounds of trash and recycling. According to Solana Beach Management Analyst Kayla Moshki, beach fires have been a large contributor to waste, with many people leaving behind burnt wood as well as broken pallets.
“It’s supposed to be in a fire container, but people are using pallets and leaving behind nails,” Moshki said. “The burnt wood, the seagulls smell it and come to eat it, and they can choke on it.”
For more information about volunteering with I Love A Clean San Diego, visit cleansd.org.
