The Beach Trash Season Is Just Beginning

July and August are our biggest months here in Mission Beach. With that, the more people, the more trash. As you can see from the pics the majority of beach trash is all recyclable. The small bucket or reusable bag are the smaller pieces of non-recyclable items, such as styrofoam, food wrappers, small broken toys, wet ones, cups, straws, napkins and other miscellaneous items. The rest is clothing, shoes, towels, blankets, toys and bottles.

Because the loads are getting so big and heavy, there is no way, I can finish off the entire beach. Too many wet and sandy textiles and bottles. Not all of these bottles come from the beach. I am doing a study on the increase of glass and drinking on the beach. #enforcethelaw #mayorkevinfaulconer. Between the Short Term Vacation Rentals, understaffed police force (by 253 police) understaffed park and recreation department, lack of consistent garbage collection, there has been no policing and monitoring of the beach.. ergo.. more illegal fires, more broken glass, more dog poop, more trash, more smoking… you get the picture. Of the 18 broken laws, 9 of them affect directly plastic pollution and marine life as well as the safety and quality of life here.

That said.. the majority of the bottles are from the beach.

July 1: 23 Glass Liquor bottles, 34 Aluminum Beer- Liquor bottles, 28 Aluminum Soda Bottles, 79 Plastic Bottles

July 2: 19 Glass Liquor bottles, 43 Aluminum Beer- Liquor bottles, 35 Aluminum Soda bottles, 70 Plastic Bottles.

July 3, getting ready for the 4th of July rush and 40 people coming over! 900 Square feet, 1 bathroom… should be fun!

July 4, did not go out!

July 5: Volunteers picked up over 1500 pounds of trash in San Diego alone. That is was was recorded and does not count all the other people such as myself that did not officially participate in any beach clean ups. 141 Plastic bottles, 110 Aluminum Beer-liquor cans, 59 Aluminum Soda cans, 4 Glass Liquor bottles. In this case 90% of this was from the beach only. The canners are out in full force on holiday weekends and days.

July 6 continued on the 4th celebration. 153 Plastic Bottles, 6 Glass Liquor, 73 Aluminum Beer cans, 58 Aluminum Soda Cans. As you can see, the shoes, textiles, hangers, toys (not seen)

July 7 started with Warning signs up and down the beach. Bacteria levels were exceeding health care standards. We do not know where the bacteria was coming from… but these signs could be an everyday sight due to Trump repealing the Clean Water Act. (More about Trump and the Clean Water Act

July 7: From Belmont Park beach only… canners got to everything! 12 Glass liquor bottles, 22 Aluminum Beer cans, 16 Aluminum soda cans, 55 plastic bottles. This was a short day, as I had to get back to do my Beach Finds Sale.

I hate this… These unused and unnecessary straws were just left on the beach with a bunch of other trash! Note the styrofoam.

July 8: This was 1 block in front of Belmont Park. Did not finish beach and did 2 loads. Worse yet, I drove .5 miles to the parking lot so could do an empty and reload scenario. July 8 Beach Only in front of Belmont Park. 217 Plastic Bottles, 29 Glass Liquor bottles, 10 Glass Soda bottles, 35 Aluminum Beer- Liquor cans, 83 Aluminum soda cans .

July 9: Another day.. drove to Belmont Park, because as you can see by the amount of towels, there was no way, I was going to trudge this down a sandy beach! Just in front of Belmont Park, beach only! 28 Glass Liquor bottles, 2 Glass soda bottles, 20 Aluminum Beer- Liquor cans, 15 Aluminum Soda cans, 2 Plastic Liquor bottles, 60 Plastic bottles.

These campers (illegal to sleep on the beach) were the largest group and left a huge mess everywhere. All four fire-pits had campers or drunks sleeping it off. I base that the fact that they were drunks by the amount of beer packaging in the trashcans and parking lot at Belmont Park.

July 10 was a short day. No boardwalk, just did the beach from South Mission Beach Jetty up the shoreline to Belmont Park. And started late… 39 Plastic Bottles, 22 Aluminum Beer Cans, 6 Aluminum Soda cans, 1 Glass Liquor,

July 11: Just did the boardwalk to Belmont Park. No jetty (12 fire-pits, volleyball courts, picnic areas, basketball court and parking lot) 67 Plastic Bottles, 10 Glass Liquor, 1 Glass soda, 59 Aluminum Beer- Liquors cans and 34 Aluminum soda cans. There apparently was no garbage collection yesterday as many of the trash cans were not picked up. 80% of the fire-pits had evidence of drinking, 2 ‘Campers’ at firepits at Belmont Park and 1 camper at a firepit at the South Mission Beach Jetty.

This I hate to see, a syringe, with no needle and pot. In front of Belmont Park.