1,493 Pounds Of Trash Collected At Local Beaches After July 4

UPDATE:

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA – More than 1,493 pounds of trash and recycling were collected Thursday during the Surfrider Foundation San Diego's annual post-Fourth of July beach cleanups, the nonprofit announced.

More than 525 volunteers participated in the "Morning After Mess" events, held in collaboration with I Love a Clean San Diego and San Diego Coastkeeper at at the Ocean Beach Pier, Fiesta Island, Pacific Beach and Oceanside Pier. Those areas were chosen because of their high concentration of beachgoers and "notorious reputation" for post-Independence Day trash, according to Surfrider.

Better habits, including less reliance on single-use plastics, could reduce the necessity to hold beach cleanups, said Mitch Silverstein, Surfrider San Diego coordinator.

"The more people visit the beach, the more trash ends up on the beach. But it doesn't have to be that way! Most of what our volunteers pick up could be avoided if we chose reusable items instead of single-use ones," he said. "Start simple -- reusable bags, reusable water bottle, reusable coffee mug. Those three items will cut your waste footprint drastically, and they'll help keep our streets and beaches clean."

More than 8,000 cigarette butts and 1,535 plastic food wrappers were collected at local beaches Thursday, according to Surfrider. A few unusual items were found, as well, including a garage door opener and head massager.

– By City News Service

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA – Surfrider Foundation San Diego, I Love a Clean San Diego and San Diego Coastkeeper will lead annual post-Fourth of July cleanups at four beaches. The cleanups will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at the Ocean Beach Pier, Crystal Pier at Pacific Beach, Fiesta Island and Oceanside Pier.

Surfrider Chapter Coordinator Caroline Canter said the "Morning After Mess" events are critical to restoring a coastline strewn with trash following Independence Day festivities.

"These cleanups are really important for everyone to come back out to the beach and see what a mess we leave our beaches," she said. "That visual impacts the individual and really makes us think about how we treat our environment."

Last year, nearly 400 volunteers cleaned up 1,643 pounds of trash and recyclables during the "Morning After Mess" cleanups, according to Surfrider.

Leftover litter risks being washed out to sea, where it may further erode already polluted ocean water.

By City News Service; Kristina Houck/Patch contributed to this report.

Photo by Mark Brandon/Shutterstock