San Diego Clean Beach Coalition

I Love A Clean San Diego and other local partners are at it again, hoping to make this summer the cleanest on record at some of our most popular beach destinations. As hundreds of thousands of people look to descend on local beaches this summer, Clean Beach Coalition member organizations I Love A Clean San Diego and FreePB.org are working hard to make sure the beaches don’t bear the brunt of what thousands of people leave behind…trash!

This year, with major support from Pacific Beach Shore Club and Think Blue – City of San Diego’s Storm Water & Transportation Department, the Clean Beach Coalition is going to keep San Diego’s beaches clean. In addition to the traditional Fourth of July and Labor Day holiday weekends, the CBC will also include this year’s Memorial Day weekend into the program. The CBC will work with City of San Diego’s Parks & Recreation Department to place hundreds of temporary trash and recycle receptacles on beaches of Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay and Pacific Beach. These bins make it easy for people to “enjoy their bash, while canning their trash”, and ensure that there is plenty of space for everyone’s waste. The campaign’s educational message with pollution prevention artwork will make its way to the doors and windows of some of your favorite beach stores.

We also have a few new sponsors that are helping pay for the cost of these bins, including Typhoon Saloon, SeaWorld San Diego, Northrup Grumman, and Rubio’s. They are joining the ranks of returning sponsors Lahaina’s, Vavi, Bar West, and car2go to keep our beaches FREE FROM TRASH this summer.

Stay tuned for tips on how to keep your beach party green, as well as more information about when and where you can find these temporary bins. And if you’re sick of your favorite beach getting trashed, come do something about it by volunteering at the Morning After Mess, scheduled for Friday July 5th at a few different beach sites up and down the coast.

Show your patriotism this 4th of July by respecting the land upon which you celebrate! Despite the beach alcohol ban imposed in January 2008, the type of trash has changed, but not the amount. Based on our beach cleanup data, we have identified a few items that lead to the most beach trash and thought up easy replacements for you AND THE BEACH to have a good time.

What NOT to bring:
-Styrofoam: I know that cooler is super cheap, but Styrofoam is one of our top finds in our beach cleanups. It breaks up into tiny little pieces and flies into storm drains, bushes, the ocean, etc. It is not only unsightly and difficult to pick up, but it poses a threat to wildlife who mistake it for food. San Diego does not recycle Styrofoam, and Styrofoam is estimated to take over 500 years to biodegrade. Thus, every piece you ever use will be around for the next 5 generations of your own family!

-Plastic bottles: It may seem easy and convenient to bring your Sprite and Coke in those small individual plastic bottles, but try to opt for metal cans that are more cost-effective recyclables. Plastic is one of our Top Three Beach Trash items found in huge quantities at our cleanups and like Styrofoam, takes at least 500 years to biodegrade.

-Cigarettes: We collected 42,525 cigarette butts off the beach in 2010 and it has been illegal to smoke on San Diego beaches since 2006! If you must smoke, at least be responsible and get your butt in the trash can.

-Plastic Bags: These are so lightweight they will be out of your sight and into the sea in no time.

-Plastic-wrapped food: Try to avoid things that are heavily packaged in what will become trash! You won’t want to deal with it during your celebration, nor will the other patriots when it flies into their “O, Say Can You See”-singing mouths.

What to bring:
-Reusable Cooler: This will be a good way to haul out trash once the beverages are gone!

-Tupperware: Pack sandwiches and pasta salad and other homemade goodies in Tupperware, then you can just stack and wash them later.

-Reusable water bottle: Buy your water/beverages in bulk and then you can refill your bottle throughout the day.

-Reusable bag: Pack it in, Pack it out!

-Trash bags: If you are going to create trash, be prepared and have a place to stash it. It is likely someone didn’t bring their own bag and they trekked in tons of plastic bags. Ask around, make friends and you could reuse a plastic bag from another beach go-er. You can always reuse an empty chip bag for a trash bag; get creative!

-Finger Food and Napkins: Plastic utensils are not recyclable; what a waste of our precious non-renewable resources! Bring food that doesn’t require silverware. If you’re dead-set on coleslaw, bring chop sticks. You can always bring silverware from home and toss it back in the cooler with the Tupperware at the end of the day. Just make sure to have friends over the next day to help with the dishes.

Thank you for taking the time and care to reduce the amount of trash we create on our Nation’s Independence Day! It is a time to respect out history, our progress, and yes, to party with friends. It is not too much to ask to plan ahead and take responsibility for the trash you create at your own celebration.

If you’ve ever been to Pacific Beach, chances are that you’ve probably been to Pacific Beach Shore Club at least once. It’s a landmark situated right on the boardwalk with cheap beer and killer sunsets. But what you probably don’t know is that PB Shore Club is committed to the community. Since the Clean Beach Coalition started its temporary bin program, PB Shore Club has always donated money to the cause. But this year, they took it a step further. The Clean Beach Coalition is proud to announce that Pacific Beach Shore Club is the title sponsor of this year’s Clean Beach Coalition bin program. Their donation will help us to purchase more than 200 temporary trash and recycle bins that Parks & Recreation will place on the beach for Independence Day and Labor Day weekends.

Thanks PB Shore Club for your commitment to keeping our beaches FREE FROM TRASH!

That’s right, the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition is at it again in 2011, with a handful of great community-minded businesses coming together to support our efforts. We’re in the home stretch of raising the funds necessary to provide adequate trash & recycling bins for the 4th of July holiday weekend as well as Labor Day weekend in September.

Do you appreciate a clean beach? What is it worth to you? Maybe you should consider donating to our fund to supply popular local beaches with enough infrastructure to contain all the debris left by beachgoers.

Contact Morgan Justice-Black (mjusticeblack@cleansd.org, 619.704.2772) at I Love A Clean San Diego if you’d like to donate.

With your support, we can make this year the cleanest summer on record!

The San Diego Clean Beach Coalition succeeded in keeping popular beaches cleaner this year for the holiday weekend. With close to 200 temporary trash and recycle bins scattered throughout Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay, and Ocean Beach, beachgoers had an easy and convenient way to dispose of their trash. The bins were heavily used and the City of San Diego’s Parks & Recreation Department should have numbers on the total tons of debris collected in these bins in the coming days.

The Clean Beach Coalition also supported the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation’s Morning After Mess Cleanup, which brought together close to 1,000 volunteers to clean up beaches after the holiday weekend. Most commonly found items included cigarette butts and plastic bags. A spokesperson from Surfrider Foundation commented that the beaches were noticeably cleaner this year, when compared to years prior when alcohol was still permitted.

Stay tuned for more information on the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition’s efforts throughout the summer, including Labor Day plans.

San Diego, CA – As the Fourth of July holiday weekend draws near, the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition is poised to prevent the pollution problem that plagues area beaches during major summer holidays. The Coalition has raised close to $15,000 from local businesses and government agencies to support the purchase and placement of more than 200 temporary trash and recycle bins for the Independence Day and Labor Day holidays. Look for these temporary cardboard bins on the sand in the areas of Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay Park, and Pacific Beach.

Beach litter has been a problem over the last few years, prompting the Coalition to develop education and outreach tactics to tackle marine debris. Last year, the City of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department reported that crews removed 396,000 pounds of trash from temporary and permanent bins after the holiday weekend. While City infrastructure proves sufficient to collect debris on typical weekends, the large influx of beachgoers over holiday weekends prompted the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition to get involved.
The Clean Beach Coalition, which consists of local environmental organizations, community groups, and government agencies, has come together for the third consecutive year to raise awareness of beach litter issues and prevent marine debris. Clean Beach Coalition member agencies include: FreePB.org, I Love A Clean San Diego, San Diego Coastkeeper, the San Diego Chapter of Surfrider Foundation as well as the City of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department. This year’s efforts would not be possible without the support of generous supporters, including Think Blue – City of San Diego Storm Water Department, San Diego County Board of Supervisors – Pam Slater-Price, and Pacific Beach Shore Club.

Los Angeles based environmental organization, Heal The Bay just came out with their annual California Beach Bummer list which includes the top 10 dirtiest beaches. The good news…only one beach in San Diego County made the list. The bad news…the beach is part of one of San Diego’s finest features, Mission Bay Park. Vacation Isle North Cove Beach was named #9 on this year’s dirty beach list. Thankfully, the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition is here to help prevent these dirty beaches by providing temporary trash and recycling containers this summer. The Coalition will be placing over 200 bins for both the Independence Day and Labor Day weekends, giving beachgoers an easy and painless way to properly dispose of their trash.

The full story about all ten of California’s “Beach Bummers” is available here: http://bit.ly/clOD2q

And it’s not too late to support our efforts! Contact Morgan Justice-Black at 619.291.0103 to learn more about supporting the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition.

The San Diego Clean Beach Coalition is at it again, working hard to prepare our local beaches for the swarms of visitors expected this summer. Beginning Memorial Day weekend and going through the September Labor Day holiday, popular San Diego beaches will receive millions of visitors. Help the Clean Beach Coalition to keep our beaches free from trash this year and protect the lifestyle that all San Diego residents know and love.

Collaboration between FreePB.org, I Love A Clean San Diego, San Diego Coastkeeper, the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, and the City of San Diego – Parks and Recreation Department will help to ensure that adequate trash and recycle bins are provided for the big holiday weekends. If you frequent Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay or Ocean Beach on holiday weekends, you may remember seeing the temporary trash and recycle bins placed on the sand. These bins help to prevent marine debris and increase the safety of beachgoers who are less likely to be injured by stepping on litter.

The Clean Beach Coalition needs your help to sustain our efforts. We are currently looking for sponsors to help underwrite the cost of these bins, planned for 4th of July and Labor Day weekends. These bins are expensive…at close to $100 each, so please consider assisting to fund our efforts. As a bin sponsor, your company logo will be placed on each bin, providing a unique advertising opportunity.  Contact us to learn more!

Here are some tips for this holiday weekend to keep our beaches clean:

1)  Only take reusable items to the beach (avoid Styrofoam coolers and single-use plastics)
2)  Enjoy your bash but can your trash (be sure to toss any trash into a bin and recycle what you can)
3)  Help cleanup after (walk the tideline early each morning then join the Clean Beach Coalition for the Morning After Mess Cleanup)

A group of San Diego local environmental organizations, community groups, and others united as the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition (SDCBC) are asking the public to help prevent the unsightly and dangerous pollution problem that plagues the area’s beaches during July 4 and other major summer holidays. The group wants people visiting the beach to remember to dispose of trash properly in trashcans, trash bags and recycling receptacles.

After July 4 last year, volunteers picked up over 4,000 pounds of trash and 28,000 cigarette butts from the sands of six beaches throughout San Diego County. Thanks to the support of many local businesses, the Coalition has purchase over 125 temporary trash and recycling receptacles which will be placed strategically throughout Mission Beach, Mission Bay, and Pacific Beach. These bins will give beachgoers an easy and convenient solution to disposing of their trash, as opposed to creating more beach litter.

“”Litter on the beach is not only an eye sore for San Diego but it can be harmful to people and marine life,” said SDCBC member Bill Hickman. “No one wants to be cut their foot on a can or sharp object that may be left behind. We also want to prevent litter from becoming marine debris where some birds, fish and turtles can mistake it for food with dire consequences.”

The SDCBC formed last year to develop and execute a comprehensive plan to prevent beach litter during the holiday. The coalition is a joint partnership between I Love A Clean San Diego, San Diego Coastkeeper, the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, FreePB.org, and City of San Diego lifeguards, police, and park rangers.

The partners of the coalition are working together again this year to reduce the amount of litter left strewn on San Diego beaches on the 4th of July holiday and throughout the summer.  SDCBC is working to create awareness of the resources available for beachgoers to properly dispose of their trash during holiday celebrations; place additional trash and recycling receptacles along popular Pacific and Mission beaches for the public’s use during the 4th of July and Labor Day weekends, increase recycling; and educate people planning to visit the beaches about the rules and regulations at local beaches.

The public can also pitch in by helping clean the beach of trash after the Fourth of July weekend at the “Morning After Mess” beach cleanup event on Monday, July 6. From 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., the Morning After Mess event will organize volunteers to assist workers picking up the massive amounts of trash left at five San Diego County beaches from Oceanside to Ocean Beach over the Fourth of July holiday.