The 25th Anniversary of Coastal Cleanup Day proved to be the most successful cleanup event in San Diego County history! On Saturday September 19th, over 10,000 volunteers spread out at 80 coastal and inland sites to clean up San Diego. These volunteers removed seemingly small and insignificant items like cigarette butts and food wrappers as well as large items including couches, tires, and various appliances. All of these items, no matter their size, are potential pieces of marine debris, and volunteers worked hard to prevent thousands of items from washing into our oceans. In total, volunteers at this year’s California Coastal Cleanup Day in San Diego removed 134,000 pounds of debris from local beaches, bays and inland areas.

Statewide results were just as impressive with 75,000 volunteers taking part in the event, picking up over one million pounds of trash throughout California. Beyond the State of California, volunteers gathered at cleanup sites in all 50 states and over 100 countries to show a united front in the battle against marine debris.

This event would not be possible without the generous support of local businesses and government agencies. Title sponsors of this year’s cleanup in San Diego County included the County Board of Supervisors through the support of Supervisor Pam Slater-Price and Supervisor Greg Cox, as well as Think Blue – City of San Diego Storm Water Department. Critical financial support was also provided by Allied Waste Services, who provided and serviced dumpsters at many cleanup sites, as well as the Sempra Energy Foundation who registered 1,500 employees and their families throughout Southern California. Other CCD sponsors included: Qualcomm, Kashi, Belmont Park, Wavehouse, Alaskan Brewery, Bank of America, Harrah’s Rincon Casino, Sanyo, Lincoln Military Housing, DMAX Engineering, San Diego Bay Watershed Group, Fitness & Wellness Insurance, General Dynamics NASSCO, Dog Beach Dog Wash, SeaLife Aquarium, SeaWorld Adventure Park, Birch Aquarium, as well as Hornblower Cruises & Events. Statewide support was provided by Whole Foods Market, Crystal Geyser, and the California Coastal Commission.

While this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day may be over, there are still many ways to get involved in protecting San Diego’s environment. Both coordinators San Diego Coastkeeper and I Love A Clean San Diego hold monthly cleanup events all over San Diego County. For more information about volunteer opportunities year-round, check out these websites: www.sdcoastkeeper.org and www.cleansd.org.