San Diego Pollution Study

According to the San Diego  2024 Marine Debris Report in 2024, 22,268 pounds of trash was removed from the coastline during 224 cleanup events. 

They counted all of the items collected and here is what they found. 

• Plastic Fragments made up 25.9%
• Cigarette Butts 17.2% 
• Foam Fragments 13.8%
• Paper and wood 8.4%

 This is good news for our SD Clean Bay Plan. The most common Items found float and can be skimmed by our vessels, before it washes up on beaches and breaks down into the environment. 

The study also noted that while clean up is part of the solution, education is key to real change. That is why we are committed to getting people out on the water to see first hand to see the problem so they will lean how change their habits to make an impact on the amount of trash is getting in the bay. 

 "We are producing more waste than at any other point in history, and unless we change course, this trend will only accelerate (Kaza et al., 2018). A growing share of this waste consists of single use, disposable plastics—designed to be used once and discarded—including plastic fragments, cigarette butts, and EPS foam, our top three items of concern. The sheer volume of trash we generate overwhelms our ability to manage it, and much of it inevitably escapes into the environment. More often than not, the ocean becomes the final dumping ground."

San Diego Coastkeeper

We join the Surfrider and Coastkeeper originations in advocating for reducing unnecessary single-use plastics products.

"Cities across San Diego County—including Solana Beach, Encinitas, Del Mar, San Diego, Imperial Beach, Coronado, Vista, San Marcos, Carlsbad, and Oceanside— have passed ordinances restricting plastic bags, EPS foam containers, plastic straws, or all three. We continue to push for broader single-use plastic reduction policies countywide. Policy, advocacy, consumer demand, or a combination of these can drive systemic changes that reduce waste at the source—far more effective than reactive cleanups. Keeping our oceans clean requires action from individuals, businesses, and governments alike. We invite all San Diegans to join our 2025 Beach Cleanup Program and support organizations like The Surfrider Foundation and San Diego Coastkeeper in the fight for clean water and healthy beaches —now and for future generations."

San Diego Coastkeeper and Surfrider Foundation 

Many cities are rolling out on-the-water trash skimming programs. Here are the benefits we are excited about

• The impact of Community Engagement. Getting volunteers out on the water to see the problem first hand, help remove trash, and learning how to make changes to their habits to reduce the waste getting in the bay. 
• Boating Community Engagement from seeing the cleaning vessel out on the water. By Running the skimmers during the most busy times on the bay, other boaters will be reminded to be careful to prevent trash from the bay. 
• The biggest benefit is Prevention Multiplier. It is exponentially easier and more effective to remove one large item now than to try (and fail) to remove millions of microscopic particles later.