SURFRIDER FOUNDATION CRUSHES MORNING AFTER MESS
429 Volunteers gathered at seven popular beaches Tuesday morning to assist with the Surfrider Foundation San Diego’s annual post-Fourth of July “Morning After” beach cleanup series. In only three hours, volunteers had recovered more than 1,645 pounds of trash — majorly consisting of single-use plastics — which otherwise would be washed into the sea adding to the already critical pollution problem devastating the world’s oceans.
Surfrider volunteers hosted four cleanups at Ocean Beach Pier, and Oceanside while partner orgs hosted the remaining 5 sites., OB Dog Beach hosted by San Diego RIver Park Foundation, Mission Beach hosted by San Diego Coastkeeper, Fiesta Island hosted by I Love A Clean San Diego, Crystal Pier hosted by Paddle For Peace, and Moonlight Beach hosted by Un Mar De Colores. These cleanup sites were chosen because of the high concentration of beachgoers and notorious reputations for post-4th of July trash.
Total Weights by Site:
Ocean Beach Pier (sponsored by Stone Brewing) – 143 lbs
Ocean Beach Dog Beach (with SD River Park Foundation) – 735 lbs
Mission Beach Park (with San Diego Coast Keeper) – 16 lbs
Crystal Pier(with Paddle For Peace) – 102 lbs
Fiesta Island (with I Love A Clean SD/133) – 450
Moonlight Beach(with Un Mar De Colores) – 88 lbs
Oceanside Pier (Sponsored by Reef) – 111 lbs
Few holidays generate more trash on San Diego County beaches than the Fourth of July. The “Morning After Mess” showcases the impact that our reliance on wasteful single-use plastic products has on our coastal environment. Each year, the San Diego County Chapter and partners host the “Morning After Mess” cleanup series to help tackle the mess.
“Many of our volunteers remarked that the beaches seemed cleaner than in previous years, which is a great sign! Despite that, we can not loose sight of the fact that even one piece of trash on the beach is one piece too many,” said Alex Ferron, Surfrider Foundation San Diego Chapter Manager. “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.”
The Surfrider Foundation San Diego has a handful of programs working to fight plastic pollution in San Diego. Specifically, 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.
For more information on the Surfrider Foundation San Diego, visit www.surfridersd.org or contact Chapter Manger, Alex Ferron, at alex@surfridersd.org.
