Volunteers removed nearly 4,000 pounds of trash from nine San Diego County beaches on Friday as part of annual efforts to clean up local beaches after the Fourth of July holiday.
Friday morning's efforts were conducted by 688 volunteers. Most of the 3,906 pounds of trash collected were single-use plastics that likely would have washed into the sea, according to the Surfrider Foundation, one of several organizations that took part in the countywide clean-up.
Trash was collected at:
— Oceanside Breakwater Way: 135 pounds
— South Ponto - Sponsored by COOLA: 94 pounds
— Moonlight Beach - Un Mar De Colores: 125 pounds
— Pacific Beach - Paddle For Peace: 216 pounds
— Mission Beach - San Diego Coastkeeper: 231 pounds
— Fiesta Island - I Love A Clean San Diego: 1,320 pounds
— San Diego River Estuary & OB Dog Beach - San Diego River Park Foundation: 1,575 pounds
— OB Pier- Sponsored by Mitch's Seafood -120 pounds
— Imperial Beach: 90 pounds
Gabriel Racca, Surfrider Foundation San Diego Beach Cleanup Coordinator said, "Many of our volunteers remarked that the beaches seemed cleaner than in previous years, which is a great sign. Despite that, we cannot 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 hold businesses and governments accountable for the plastic pollution that has no place in our communities, on our beaches or in our ocean."
