Surfrider Volunteers Remove 1,457 Pounds of Trash from San Diego’s beaches after 4th of July Holiday
Over 600 volunteers gathered at six popular beaches yesterday morning to assist with the Surfrider Foundation San Diego’s annual post-Fourth of July “Morning After” beach cleanup series. In only 2 hours, Surfrider volunteers had recovered over 1,457 pounds of trash - the majority consisting of single-use plastics - which otherwise could have washed into the sea adding to the already critical pollution problem devastating the world’s oceans.
Surfrider volunteers hosted four cleanups - OB Pier, Crystal Pier, Moonlight Beach, and Oceanside Pier - while the San Diego River Park Foundation hosted an OB Dog Beach cleanup, and I Love a Clean San Diego hosted Mission Beach/Belmont Park. These cleanup sites were chosen because of the high concentration of beachgoers and notorious reputations for post-4th of July trash
Totals By Site:
OB Pier - 223 lbs
OB Dog Beach - 560 lbs
Belmont Park - 317 lbs
Crystal Pier - 159 lbs
Moonlight Beach - 102 lbs
Oceanside Pier - 96 lbs
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Few holidays generate more trash on San Diego County beaches than the Fourth of July. The “morning after” exemplifies the disastrous consequences that our reliance on wasteful, single-use plastic products wreaks upon our coastal environment. Each year, the San Diego County Chapter and partners host the “Morning After” cleanup series to help tackle the mess.
San Diego Chapter Manager, Mitch Silverstein, says, “Many volunteers remarked that the beaches seemed cleaner than in previous years, which is a great sign. But we must not lose sight of the fact that even one piece of trash on the beach is one piece too many. More than anything, we hope our beach cleanups inspire San Diegans to continue down the path of coastal stewardship, to continue lessening their reliance on single-use plastics, and to start (or continue!) to hold businesses and governments accountable for the plastic pollution that has no place in our communities, on our beaches, and in our ocean.”
Our chapter has several volunteer-led programs working to fight plastic pollution in San Diego. The Rise Above Plastics program has been a key player in introducing and passing single-use plastic and polystyrene ordinances across San Diego County. The program uses outreach, education and advocacy to cut down on single-use plastics and cigarette butts before they reach the coast.
Thank you to EVERYONE who showed up for your ocean, waves and beaches yesterday and made this collective impact possible!