San Diego County is home to thousands of unique species of animals that use water pathways and watersheds as their habitat. Wildlife habitat becomes overcome with discarded trash during washouts after heavy rainfall and storm surges. The types of trash that are most dangerous to these creatures line the beaches of San Diego, California, continuously with human-made waste and not all of it may be local to the communities along the beach. Trash can travel from hundreds of miles away from its drop point along watersheds. After heavy rains from storms create new waterways, the debris is carried through existing streams, rivers and tributaries that deposit plastics, cigarette butts and toxic fluids into the ocean. City waste ends up traveling within gutters that deposit directly into sewage systems that lead to the ocean. In heavily trafficked areas of tourist destinations, trash is often seen traveling through these beachside cities drainage systems which spit out the debris into marshlands along river banks. Species of birds, fish and marine mammals often pay the price from accidental ingestion, habitat degradation and injuries that cause infection. Infections which in turn impair mobility of wildlife who live in these waterways and the ocean. In 2024, The San Diego Surfrider Foundation along with the San Diego Coast keeper collected 12,093 pounds of trash over 148 miles of San Diego’s coastline beaches. A shocking 66,663 cigarette butts were collected which comprised of 17.9 percent of the total trash pulled.Trash is an unsightly blemish that is caused from the consumer habits of tourism and everyday consumption of plastic wrapped food and drinks. More than being unsightly the environmental effects can cause devastation in the habitats of costal wildlife who purposefully or accidentally feed off the discarded waste. More now than ever it is important for consumers to be aware and vigilant of their waste. Organizations such as the Surfrider Foundations and San Diego Coast keeper implore people to be intentional with their trash by packing out any intended refuse from the area after using them. Many parks, species of animals and fellow human beings depend on the cleanliness of these sites.
Video Credit © Jake Lee Green/ZUMA Press