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Environment

2,140 Pounds Of Trash Picked Up At San Diego County Beaches

Bags of trash are pictured behind the Surfrider Foundation's booth near the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier, July 5, 2016.
Surfrider Foundation San Diego County Chapter
Bags of trash are pictured behind the Surfrider Foundation's booth near the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier, July 5, 2016.

Volunteers picked up 2,140 pounds of trash from San Diego beaches Sunday as part of a post-Fourth of July cleanup to keep litter out of the ocean.

An estimated 580 volunteers brought together by the Surfrider Foundation and I Love a Clean San Diego were spread across Ocean Beach Pier, Belmont Park in Mission Beach, Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach and the Oceanside Pier.

They spent Sunday morning picking up 21,000 cigarette butts, 1,483 pieces of Styrofoam and 953 plastic bags, said Mandy Sackett, manager of the Surfrider Foundation's San Diego chapter.

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In addition to the trash, about 388 pounds of recyclable material were also recovered, she said.

"We are incredibly pleased with the number of volunteers who came out this morning to help clean the beaches after a busy holiday," Sackett said. "It is crucial to prevent all the litter left on the beach on July 4 from making its way into our ocean. Once in the ocean, the debris is devastating to marine life and negatively impacts ocean users."

She added there was a decrease this year in the amount of trash collected compared to the past few years, partially due to the cancellation of the annual marshmallow fight in Ocean Beach.