I Love A Clean San Diego opens registration for cleanup day

SAN DIEGO COUNTY – The 35th annual Coastal Cleanup Day is nearly here. I Love A Clean San Diego is seeking 8,000 volunteers to help beautify more than 100 sites across San Diego County Saturday, Sept. 21, 9 a.m. to noon, including Live Oak Park, 2746 Reche Road, in Fallbrook.

ILACSD has coordinated this event regionally for the past 34 years, successfully mobilizing thousands of volunteers throughout the county. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are encouraged to sign up for a site in their neighborhood and help leave a positive impact on the entire region. Online registration is now open at http://cleanupday.org/.

Coastal Cleanup Day covers more than just the shoreline. ILACSD focuses the majority of its cleanup efforts along inland waterways and canyons. With 80% of marine debris coming from inland territories, volunteers learn firsthand the importance of keeping trash out of the region’s waterways, which can carry trash and pollutants directly to the ocean through the storm drain system.

In 2018, 9,174 volunteers removed over 148,000 pounds of trash, recyclables, and green waste from San Diego and Tijuana regions that otherwise would have polluted the beloved coastline and the Pacific Ocean.

ILACSD invites volunteers to take waste reduction into their own hands by pledging to “Bring Your Own” reusable items when they register at http://cleanupday.org/.

Each volunteer who brings a reusable water bottle, work gloves, and/or a bucket to collect litter significantly reduces the need for single-use bags and disposable gloves. Prizes will be awarded to the best decorated buckets entered into this year’s Bling Your Bucket contest.

The CleanSwell app is another option for volunteers to help cut back on waste produced at this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteers are encouraged to download the Clean Swell app to be used in place of paper data cards to track the debris collected on event day. The app is free and available to download for both iOS and Android devices.

Sony Electronics has returned to sponsor this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day Photo Contest where volunteers have the opportunity to win a Sony Cybershot Camera. Volunteers are encouraged to submit a photo of their Coastal Cleanup Day experience that best fits the theme, "Blast From The Past."

ILACSD organizes Coastal Cleanup Day in San Diego County in partnership with the California Coastal Commission as part of a global international event led by the Ocean Conservancy.

For more information about sites and volunteer registration, please visit http://www.CleanupDay.org or call (619) 291-0103.

Submitted by I Love A Clean San Diego.