Dozens of volunteers removed 526 pounds of trash from the sand and surf at Fiesta Island on Sunday morning. Much of the litter was left behind after Fourth of July celebrations across the popular waterfront destination that has a 4-mile scenic loop trail, open beaches, and an off-leash dog area. The cleanup known as the “Morning after Mess” was organized by the nonprofit I Love A Clean San Diego, and the Surfrider Foundation of San Diego County. “The Fourth of July is the trashiest holiday in the United States,” said Isabella Schutte, ILACSD community engagement supervisor. She gave volunteers a short safety briefing before they spread out on the island to begin cleanup. Volunteers were given safety equipment before they began clean up on Fiesta Island, San Diego, Calif., July 5, 2026. The focus of the annual event is to collect as much trash as possible before it makes its way to the ocean. “Once it gets out into the ocean, no one is grabbing it. We talk about the Pacific ‘garbage patch’, miles and miles of garbage out there,” Schutte said. Volunteers spent the morning filling bags with what they recovered. Their haul included discarded wrappers, fast-food packaging, towels, cigarette butts, and even an old metal concession stand seat left behind. San Diego city maintenance crews also worked to clean Mission Bay Park. Tanya Pruitt, who had been camping there since Thursday with family members, said she appreciated the city’s efforts to help visitors dispose of their trash. “Bathrooms stayed clean constantly. The park rangers came by and gave us trash bags and said if you guys need more let us know,” Pruitt told NBC 7. Sadi Richard brought her 2-year old son, Koa, to help and learn about protecting the environment. “If we didn’t do it, who would? Right? We want to make sure we’re keeping San Diego clean, keeping this world clean. It’s our only place to live,” she said. Sadi Richard and her son, Koa, 2, volunteered to clean up Fiesta Island, Sunday, along with others concerned about the environment, San Diego, Calif., July 5, 2026. Cigarette butts are still the most commonly collected litter during community cleanups throughout the county. “Those cigarette butts have a lot of microplastics and those microplastics leak out into the bloodstream of fish that potentially we eat and could get ingested by another animal,” said Michael Giles, an environmental educator with ILACSD. Volunteer Micquie Anthony encouraged people to make a habit of picking up litter whenever they see it. She said it’s part of her daily routine. “If once in a while you just pick something up and go on with your day, it just feels good.” This old metal concession stand seat is part of the trash collected Sunday on Fiesta Island, July 5, 2026. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less