The 24th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) on September 20th proved to be another record setting year in San Diego County and across the state. CCD in San Diego was coordinated by San Diego Coastkeeper and I Love A Clean San Diego in partnership with the California Coastal Commission and presented by the County Board of Supervisors. The event brought thousands of San Diegans together to work towards a common goal - combating the extensive pollution problems our local communities, beaches and oceans face. 2008 marked another record turnout as  7,729 volunteers removed 179,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from nearly 150 miles of local beaches, bays, canyons, rivers and creek beds to prevent this trash from polluting our ocean. This year, coordinators expanded their reach across the border, where 1,200 volunteers picked up 8,250 pounds of trash from four cleanup sites in Playas de Tijuana.

The efforts from thousands of San Diego volunteers contributed largely to the statewide event, which took place at more than 750 locations around the state, in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup happening in nearly all U.S. states and over 70 countries. In California, over 70,000 volunteers removed an excess of 1.2 million pounds of debris as part of CCD. This event is unique in that each volunteer not only removes trash but tracks the debris collected on data cards which will be used to stop pollution at its source. These data cards educate residents, businesses and government on the issue of marine debris and its effects on coastal and ocean ecosystems, and are an instrumental tool for policy change to protect the marine environment.

This year, San Diego Coastkeeper and I Love A Clean San Diego are proud to demonstrate how pollution knows no boundaries and how international cleanup efforts make a significant impact on our shared marine ecosystem. In addition to the media site at South Mission Beach where 500 volunteers attended and awards were presented to Supervisors Greg Cox and Pam Slater-Price, along with sponsors Sempra Energy Foundation and Think Blue San Diego, there was another Spanish language media site at Border Field State Park where volunteers gathered on both sides of the border fence for a bi-national celebration. 

Some of the most unusual items found in San Diego and throughout the state were handcuffs, garage door openers, a handgun, fireworks, a 52 pound bag of dog hair and a family of crawdads living in a purse.

County coordinators San Diego Coastkeeper and I Love A Clean San Diego are encouraged by the successful turnout of this year’s event and look forward to seeing San Diegans embody the valuable lessons about waste reduction and conservation everyday of the year.  To learn more about year-round environmental programs in San Diego, visit www.sdcoastkeeper.org or www.cleansd.org.