8,000 Volunteers Remove 20,000 Pounds of Ocean Trash

More than 8,000 San Diego volunteers rolled up their sleeves in 2025 to protect the ocean, pulling nearly 20,000 pounds of trash from local beaches and waterways. The massive cleanup effort shows how everyday people can make a real difference for marine life and coastal communities.

San Diego Coastkeeper, Surfrider Foundation San Diego County, and Ocean Connectors organized 214 cleanup events throughout the year. Together, volunteers collected 516,665 individual pieces of trash, from cigarette butts to plastic fragments.

The most common item found was plastic fragments, making up 25% of all trash collected. These tiny pieces break down into microplastics that can harm fish, seabirds, and other marine animals for decades. Cigarette butts and Styrofoam fragments rounded out the top three most common culprits.

Since launching their partnership in 2007, these organizations have removed over 189,000 pounds of debris from San Diego's coastal areas. The long-term effort proves that consistent community action creates lasting change for ocean health.

The Ripple Effect: The cleanup data is helping drive real policy change. San Diego Coastkeeper and Surfrider Foundation are using these findings to push for stronger regulations on single-use plastics at local and state levels. By documenting exactly what pollutes our waters, volunteers are building the case for systemic solutions that stop trash at its source.

The organizations host weekly cleanup events every Saturday morning from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. throughout the year. People of all abilities are welcome to join, and with summer tourism season bringing more visitors to San Diego's beaches, the need for volunteers has never been greater.

Ocean Connectors brings an educational angle to the work, connecting thousands of students each year to marine science and conservation. Their programs reach underserved communities in both the U.S. and Mexico, inspiring the next generation of ocean protectors.

Anyone wanting to join future cleanups can find event schedules on the organizations' websites. Every piece of trash removed is one less threat to marine life and one more step toward healthier oceans for everyone.