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have organic waste "green" bins following the enaction of a 2016 California senate bill, this is an easy but significant step everyone can take to have a major impact here in San Diego. Get Involved ILACSD offers an array of activities, events, and volunteer opportunities to meet members of the community wherever, and however, it's the best fit for them to contribute to efforts to improve our environment. In honor of Earth Week, taking place on April 26 is the organization's largest event of the year, Creek To Bay, a cleanup event encompassing more than 70 sites throughout the county. Historically, this single day results in the collection of 100,000 pounds of litter and debris in mere hours. Registration opens April 1. cleansd.org and that you consume. It's like you are going to be the 'caretaker' of that item, and that means you have to see it all the way through to its disposal," she says. ILACSD's mission is to create a "zero waste lifestyle" in San Diego. But having zero trash logically begins with less waste. "Something for people to consider is that we just have a larger volume of single use items now, and that's not a positive thing," says Barros. "It's great for convenience, but…single use items and single use plastic mean that we have an increase in actual trash." Switching to reusable items, from water bottles and food containers to grocery bags and other longer-lifespan items mean less trash that misses the trash can and ends up in the environment — as well as less in our landfills. "We want people to understand where 'away' is," says Barros. "When you throw [waste] in a trash can, that's wonderful, because it's getting off the streets. But landfills are part of the Earth as well, and all of the landfills in San Diego are reaching capacity. So, the most impactful thing we can do is to reduce the amount of trash that we're producing." Recycling Is Not a Myth Many of us have heard anecdotes of ships loaded with recyclables being refused at port after port, their load unwanted as quantities of recyclables exceed the need or ability to process them into new materials. And whether those accounts are sensationalized or not, Barros does say that the global rate of plastic recycling sits at a paltry 6%. However, in San Diego, our recycling stats are starkly different: We boast a staggering 71% diversion rate. "It is absolutely worth it to make sure you are not mixing your classic recyclable plastics, aluminum, and cardboard with your trash, because that is another thing that will increase the [lifespan] of the landfills," says Barros. ough according to Barros items mistakenly dropped into recycle bins — or put in there with the hope that they can be recycled, known as "wishcycling" — are removed, it can come with a heavy toll beyond simply impeding the recycling process. Soft plastics, like snack or grocery bags, can actually be a hazard, clogging heavy machinery that has to be manually stopped and the waste removed, creating hazardous working conditions. A key action you can take to avoid contributing to these issues is to drop your plastic bags in the receptacles located at many supermarkets or other stores you likely visit weekly. Green Waste Means Green Space Green waste — kitchen waste and garden clippings — accounts for about 35 to 40 percent of all the waste inside of a landfill in San Diego, shares Barros. "If we just used our green bins, we would be able to create a lot more space in that landfill without needing to open a new landfill," she says. Since all Californians should @ranchandcoast I Love A Clean San Diego offers volunteer opportunities for all ages Education is a key component of I Love A Clean San Diego's mission