WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
Coastal Cleanup Day and San Diego County Pollution Insights
September 21st is the 40th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day, California’s largest organized cleanup effort focused on waterway pollution prevention. Pollution in San Diego County’s creeks, rivers, bays, and ocean can harm beachgoers and aquatic life by causing our neighbors to get sick and animal injury or death. Historically, cigarette butts have been the most polluted item found at San Diego County trash cleanup events. However, for the first time since beach trash collection efforts began in 2007, the 2023 beach cleanup counts now show plastic fragments surpassing cigarette butts by a significant margin. Check out the Surfrider’s 2023 Beach Cleanup Report to learn more about the impact of these pollutants on our local waterways.
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Prevention is Key
While cleanup efforts truly make a difference in reducing ocean pollution, preventing it at the source is key! Most plastic pollution in San Diego County’s waterways (including cigarette butt filters which are made of plastic) starts out on land as litter on beaches, streets, and sidewalks. Unlike the sewer system (which treats water), anything that flows into our storm drain system can go untreated into our creeks, bays, rivers, and the ocean. After plastics enter a water body, they slowly break down into smaller microplastics that can contaminate water sources.
Read on about some of the key sources of ocean pollution, impact on our environment, and prevention tips:
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Cigarette butt filters are made of plastic, do not biodegrade, and are full of harmful toxins that pollute our ecosystems. Birds and sea mammals can be poisoned by cigarette butts because they ingest them and misinterpret them for food. Also, they can easily move through our storm drain system from all over the County and find their way to the beach eventually.
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Styrofoam products and food ware easily break into small pieces that can litter the beach and harm aquatic species when ingested.
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Plastic bags and food wrappers don’t biodegrade, can turn into microplastics, and can also be confused as a food source by wildlife.
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Plastic straws are too light weight to be recycled in San Diego’s recycling facilities and instead end up in landfills or as litter. Aquatic life can be harmed by ingesting straws and plastic toxins can make their way up the food chain, posing a threat to humans and wildlife who consume them.
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Plastic single-use bottles break down into microplastics and also contain chemicals that can leach into the water.
Prevention Tips
- Utilize reusable bottles and more sustainable alternatives like glass and aluminum instead of single-use plastics.
- Place all recyclables in a closed recycling bin.
- Leave reusable bags in your car to make grocery shopping a breeze.
- Throw cigarette butts in designated ash trays or closed receptacles. Also, carry a pocket ashtray for times when an ashtray is not available and ask friends and family to pick up their cigarette butts.
- When making dining choices, eat at ocean-friendly restaurants that are committed to cutting out wasteful single-use plastic and making sustainable choices to protect our ocean.
Learn more about programs aimed at preventing waterway pollution, reducing plastic waste, and eliminating cigarette litter. Keep America Beautiful’s Cigarette Litter Prevention Program is the nation’s largest program. Key local efforts include Surfrider Foundation’s Rise Above Plastics Campaign, Hold On To Your Butt Campaign, and Port of San Diego’s #ThatsMyBay.
Make a difference in protecting our waterways this September 21st on Coastal Cleanup Day and throughout the month by participating in the many other beach and inland community cleanup events. Find one near you here.
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