Category: Tijuana River, Mexico

Fighting Marine Plastic Pollution Through Community Engagement

Los Laureles Canyon in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Joining the international effort of the Clean Currents Coalition to halt plastic pollution from reaching the ocean has been an enlightening journey for WILDCOAST. It’s led us from understanding basic technology for installing retention systems to devising innovative strategies that engage communities in Tijuana to clean up, recycle, and expand these initiatives, particularly in underserved neighborhoods.

Hauling away tires next to the community park and soccer field built in Los Laureles by WILDCOAST.

At WILDCOAST, we’re committed to preserving coastal and marine ecosystems while tackling climate change—a collective mission that involves everyone, irrespective of location. Emphasizing nature-based solutions, we’ve recognized that combatting plastic pollution involves every individual’s actions and decision-making processes. As people realize their power to choose, they contribute to a collective effort in reducing plastic consumption.

After three years of focused work, initially within the Los Laureles Canyon community and later expanding to various neighborhoods across Tijuana, operating on circular economy principles, we’ve learned invaluable lessons for future community interventions:

  1. Emphasize teamwork and coordination to execute activities efficiently without duplicating efforts.
  2. Prioritize community knowledge and resources to facilitate the creation of localized strategies.
  3. Remain flexible in operational schedules to address community needs promptly.
  4. Strategically manage limited resources in collaboration with the community.
  5. Forge strategic alliances to maximize project efficiency and outreach.
  6. Focus on local work for environmental improvement while navigating governmental authorization processes.
  7. Implement waste management education tailored to each community’s needs.
  8. Develop a media strategy to amplify the program’s message regionally and nationally.
The Los Laureles community helps to keep their neighborhood clean.

In conclusion, the challenges encountered in Tijuana have spurred creativity and reinforced the formation of inclusive teams, uniting individuals and organizations in the shared purpose of preventing further plastic pollution and its impact on public health and oceans. Collaborative efforts have significantly amplified our impact in the border region between the United States and Mexico.

Community volunteers help clean up the Tijuana River watershed at a WILDCOAST event.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Coalition for its unwavering support and the friendships forged, and to the diverse communities of Tijuana, whose experiences have been invaluable in our journey.

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1,000,000 Kilograms

Plastic washes over a resting sea turtle. Every year, 8 to 12 million metric tons of plastic enters our oceans.

The Clean Currents Coalition has achieved a major milestone in the effort to turn off the tap of plastic pollution. Together, the Coalition has captured and removed over 1,000,000 kilograms of plastic waste from rivers worldwide – much of which would otherwise have found its way to the ocean.

In Panama City, Panama, CCC member Marea Verde celebrates reaching the 1,000,000 kilogram milestone at their trash wheel, Wanda Díaz.
Water hyacinth clogs the Citarum River in Indonesia, a challenge for the Citarum Repair team and many others in the CCC.

After three years of research, testing, and scaling up innovative solutions, reaching the 1,000,000-kilogram mark is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Coalition teams. Along the way, they encountered and overcame many challenges – from a global pandemic to technology adjustments to water hyacinth – to show that we can take action and make an impact in our local communities struggling in the face of the growing wave of plastic pollution.

Removing 1,000,000 kilograms of plastic waste from rivers and preventing it from reaching the ocean is a feat to be celebrated in and of itself, but the Clean Currents Coalition is doing so much more than just capturing plastic. To solve the plastic pollution problem, we have to tackle the issue on multiple fronts with a focus on upstream solutions. The ultimate goal of the Coalition is not just to divert plastic from the ocean, but for there to not be plastic to be removed from the environment in the first place.

In Nairobi, Kenya, CCC member Chemolex works with local community groups to transform riverside dumpsites into green spaces. Here, the footpath is made from paving bricks manufactured by Chemolex from the plastic they remove from rivers.

How is the Clean Currents Coalition achieving this? Every Coalition team is collecting data on the plastic they remove so it can be used to inform better public policy and learn where to target behavior change campaigns. Coalition teams are developing innovative technology solutions to make data collection more efficient and accurate. They are inventing creative ways to use the collected plastic to benefit the local community and create sustained income to further grow their projects. They are leading education campaigns to raise awareness around the dangers of plastic pollution and empowering local communities to take part in the protection of their environment.

In Tijuana, Mexico, CCC member WILDCOAST used the tires they collected from Los Laureles Canyon to build a community park and soccer field for the local residents.

As a Coalition, we are proud to have reached the 1,000,000-kilogram milestone. But our work is only just beginning. There is much more plastic to capture, and systemic change is needed across all phases of the plastic lifecycle.

Waste accumulates in the Lat Phrao Canal, Bangkok, Thailand, where CCC member TerraCycle Global Foundation is trapping plastic before it reaches the ocean.

Every four hours, another 1,000,000 kilograms of plastic enters the ocean – the same as emptying 240 dump trucks into the water. Humankind has made 11 trillion kilograms of plastic since 1950. That’s equivalent to the weight of 1.1 million Eiffel Towers. Over half of that was made after 2008. By 2050, we are on pace to make over 1 trillion kilograms of plastic every year – at which point we will have made enough to cover the entire United States ankle-deep in plastic.

In this sense, 1,000,000 kilograms may seem like a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of the global plastic pollution problem. But the impact of the Clean Currents Coalition is clear – we need collective, local action as well as large systemic change to solve this crisis. The Coalition teams are making a difference in the lives of thousands of people impacted by plastic pollution in their communities. These solutions can be replicated in other communities and rivers. We can use our power as consumers to drive producers to make less plastic by using less plastic. But we also need top-down action to conquer the plastic menace. We need a strong global plastics treaty that doesn’t cut corners, and we need transformative policies that rethink our relationship with plastic.

1,000,000 kilograms is just the start of the journey for the Clean Currents Coalition.

The Clean Currents Coalition at the 2022 Coalition Symposium in Santa Barbara, California.

Giving Back

The Tijuana River clogged with trash

Nestled in a canyon less than half a mile from the U.S.-Mexico border is the informal community of Los Laureles. Though a mere 10-minute drive from downtown Tijuana, this community of over 65,000 people has a dirty stream at its center. Riddled with old to non-existent infrastructure and unreliable garbage collection, the residents of Los Laureles are drowning in a tsunami of plastics and waste tires. This waste then enters the Tijuana River and flows across the U.S.-Mexico border before entering the Pacific Ocean in South San Diego.

The majority of the plastics removed from Los Laureles Canyon for recycling are PET bottles
Old car tires are ubiquitous throughout the Tijuana River watershed

WILDCOAST is a non-profit that conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and addresses climate change through natural solutions. We installed a trash boom in Los Laureles Canyon in January of 2021 in an effort to stop the deluge of solid waste flowing into the Pacific Ocean. Since its installation, the trash boom has stopped over 120,000 pounds of solid waste from reaching the Tijuana River and the Pacific Ocean.

WILDCOAST team members gather plastics and other solid waste from the trash boom in Los Laureles Canyon

We Wanted to do More

After installing the trash boom it would have been easy to become one of the many NGOs that have worked in Los Laureles Canyon to try to solve local issues. Instead, WILDCOAST puts impact at the forefront of its agenda. 

A WILDCOAST team member sorts through plastic waste

As a conservation organization, we prioritize ecological effects on the 2,336 acres protected downstream in the Tijuana National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Pacific Ocean. We also focus on people by incorporating the community’s needs into the solution.

This was accomplished in three ways. First, WILDCOAST organized a network of residents to collect plastic waste around the canyon creek, before the plastic enters the creek. For every kilogram of plastic collected they are able to earn money, which provides them with an additional income stream. Second, WILDCOAST built two parks and a small soccer field for the local community to enjoy. Third, WILDCOAST hired local artists to paint two murals to beautify the neighborhood.

WILDCOAST makes an effort to give back to every community we work in. These efforts have made a substantial difference in our relationships with local residents. By working with the community of Los Laureles we have gained their trust and loyalty. This effort has attracted other communities in Tijuana that now want to work with us.

Parks from Waste Tires

To showcase the possibilities of repurposing waste to enhance the community, WILDCOAST reused tires collected in the trash boom to build a park with a playground and a mini soccer field for the residents of Los Laureles.

After the inauguration of the park, the community proactively formed a committee called “Las Guardianas del Parque” (The Guardians of the Park) to care for the park. The media covered the event extensively and kids started enjoying the new playground equipment immediately.

Señora Rosario, a local community leader, was filled with emotion during the inauguration when she explained, “We never asked WILDCOAST for anything and they have given us so much.”

A second park was built in the south part of the canyon with increased involvement from the community.

Local kids enjoying a mini soccer field in the park built using tires collected by the trash boom

Urban Art

WILDCOAST has also painted murals in the community that depict images of a beautiful ocean filled with local flora and fauna. These aesthetic murals remind local residents that the ocean is their backyard and that their actions impact these critical marine ecosystems. In both instances school children helped design and paint the murals.  

A mural in the Los Laureles Canyon depicts marine life and people cleaning a beach

The hope is that the murals will inspire community members to feel proud of their neighborhood and instill in them a desire to conserve their environment.

WILDCOAST is very grateful to be able to give back to the community and have a social and environmental impact that will last for years to come.

An Outstanding Team at the Tijuana River

8 members of the WILDCOAST team sitting together and smiling at the camera onsite in Los Laureles Canyon.
The WILDCOAST team onsite in Los Laureles Canyon.

In January 2021, WILDCOAST installed a plastic retention system in Los Laureles Canyon, a tributary of the Tijuana River on the US-Mexico border, to stop debris from reaching the Pacific Ocean. To collect, separate, and process the debris for repurposing and recycling, WILDCOAST hired a local team to oversee the operation.

What WILDCOAST did not expect was the level of commitment this team would bring to the work. These individuals have worked tirelessly to process the debris caught in the trash boom and ensure it is reused or recycled to the fullest extent possible. Their passion for the work is inspiring.

We are proud to introduce Junior and Juan, two members of the local team that have been managing the trash boom sorting process.

JUNIOR

Junior is originally from the state of San Luis Potosi but has lived in Tijuana for two years. He currently lives in Los Laureles and has been a local member of the WILDCOAST team for almost a year. “I was surprised and glad that there was work right here in Los Laureles. It was very convenient, although I hated the job at first. I felt disgusted when picking up the trash, but I liked having a regular salary. Then I got used to it and eventually enjoyed going to work because of my teammates. I feel like they accept me as I am, and they respect and care about me. That is certainly a new feeling for me,” Junior explained.

Junior flashing his famous smile.

“I’m learning a lot about plastic and its alternative uses. I enjoy learning. I’m also an artist and Fay asked me to paint a mural in the cement basin (desarenador). I am very excited about this opportunity,” he says.

Junior has faced many challenges in his life, but since working with WILDCOAST he has become much happier. He no longer feels like he is hiding in the shadows; he now feels comfortable to talk and smile more than ever. He says he is grateful for the opportunities and support WILDCOAST has afforded him.

JUAN

Every morning, Juan Benitez Castañeda drives 15 minutes to one of the poorest areas of the city of Tijuana, Baja California to work at the trash boom. “I love this job not only because it stops the debris from entering the Tijuana River and then polluting the beautiful Pacific Ocean, but also because of what we are teaching the community of Los Laureles. We are empowering its leaders to act. It is so important to teach people that they can improve their own quality of life because in reality, no one else will do it for them.”

Juan in action pulling plastic debris from the Tijuana River tributary.

Juan finished high school and attended college for two years, although he was unable to finish his studies. He has had many different jobs including working as a landscaper and in agriculture in the United States. He emphasizes that he loves plants, animals, and the ocean.

“He takes more and more responsibilities every day,” explains Rosario Norzagaray, WILDCOAST Border Manager. “When he finishes the job at the trash boom he goes to the park WILDCOAST built, to check that nothing is broken and to pick up trash if needed.” Juan leads by example.

Juan says he loves this job because “it is obvious here how you benefit the community as well as the planet. This job gives me real satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. I feel that we really have an impact here and are changing the community.”

Juan (left) and Junior (right) are an integral part of the WILDCOAST team, working tirelessly to improve the conditions of Los Laureles Canyon.

Rosario, Juan, Junior and the rest of the team are inspiring the community to stop waiting for a miracle, or for the government to do something to improve the quality of life for the residents of Los Laureles. They are teaching the community to organize and do it themselves. I’m in awe of the Tijuana team. They are ready to face reality head on and are very innovative, and that is what you need in order to solve Tijuana’s toughest pollution problem. They are my superheroes.

Community Engagement and Innovation to End the Plastic Crisis in Los Laureles Canyon, Tijuana, Mexico

WILDCOAST boom in Los Laureles Canyon
WILDCOAST plastic retention system was installed in January 2021.

In January 2021, WILDCOAST installed a plastic retention system in the Los Laureles canyon tributary of the Tijuana River on the US-Mexico border. The device is an Elastec Brute Boom that consists of 8 HDPE floaters of 40 cm diameter and stuffed with expanded polystyrene. Each floater has a galvanized steel screen. The barrier is attached to concrete structures on the banks of the river through galvanized chains and steel shackles. We were excited to start 2021 with good news for our team. Since the device was installed, 4,000 kg of solid waste has been stopped before entering the Tijuana River estuary and the Pacific Ocean. Sadly, about 93% of the debris captured consists of plastic and waste tires.

Our local team works tirelessly to collect, process, and separate the trash. This process is extremely taxing and it is important to emphasize that the team on the ground is doing a great job. The next challenge is to establish a plan to efficiently recycle, repurpose and dispose of the captured debris.   

WILDCOAST plastic retention system installed in Los Laureles Canyon, affluent of the Tijuana River in between Tijuana (Mex) and San Diego (U.S)

Through community outreach, the team will investigate: Who is truly recycling in Tijuana? The intention is to find local solutions to recycle plastic waste. This project provides an opportunity to reduce the consumption of plastics in Tijuana and trigger regional economic development through the recycling industry.

WILDCOAST is also working to inspire communities in Tijuana to change plastic consumption patterns overall. Through an innovative communication strategy, we are driving community members to action. 

Since COVID has prevented WILDCOAST from working directly with the community, the team came up with these boxes placed in convenience stores to get people’s information to stay in touch, and suggestions and opinion on the work they are doing along the canyon.

Our outreach efforts began with forums that brought together Los Laureles residents to hear them out, and tell them about our goal to establish a community based plan to clean the canyon and reduce the amount of plastics that enter the river to begin with. As an adaptation to the pandemic, suggestion boxes were also installed in convenience stores throughout Los Laureles to procure further neighborhood feedback regarding the canyon clean up. So far we have received many responses that have demonstrated interest and creative suggestions as to how these goals can be accomplished. This response has been very exciting for us because we understand that community participation is crucial in creating real and long lasting change.

In March 2021, WILDCOAST inaugurated a community recycling program in Los Laureles with the collaboration of Fundación Coca Cola, México. After never having had a recycling system in Los Laureles, WILDCOAST is in the process of installing a mobile recycling center to pick up recyclable plastic twice a week in different areas of the neighborhood. The inauguration was attended by the Undersecretary of the Sustainable Development of Baja California, representatives of the municipal government, and many media outlets. The inauguration broadcasted this message to Tijuanenses: Reduce the amount of plastic you use, Re-use the plastic you have and Recycle all bottles and plastics. Since Tijuana City is also lacking recycling bins, WILDCOAST is placing them throughout the city for public use. 

Community members bringing their recycling items to the bins that WILDCOAST has placed throughout Los Laureles Canyon Neighborhood.

We will also be working with local artists to facilitate the painting of murals and public installations in Los Laureles  and central plazas in Tijuana to remind the community of the harm caused by single-use plastics. The creation of these installations will further inspire individuals to reduce their plastic consumption and be a part of the solution.  

WILDCOAST team members chatting with members of the local community to raise awareness of the plastic pollution problems.

At WILDCOAST, we believe in the power of action and community collaboration. Therefore, we aim to provide spaces for local residents to learn and become involved with the process of combatting the plastic crisis. 

Fay Crevoshay

Communications and Policy Director

WILDCOAST Tackles Ocean-Bound Plastics at the US-Mexico Border

The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve lies on the U.S.-Mexico border. The river flows across Mexico, through Tijuana, and enters the Pacific Ocean in the U.S. near San Diego, California.

Plastics and tires generated in Tijuana are chronically and illegally dumped into the canyons and ravines along the Tijuana River, which are then washed into coastal areas that eventually enter the Pacific Ocean. It is estimated that 300 tons of waste produced per day in Mexico’s northwesternmost city is not collected (USEPA 2015). This pollution has dire impacts on fragile ecosystems and wildlife as well as public health. 

The impacted watershed’s coastal area contains 18,987 protected acres of some of the most ecologically significant coastal and marine ecosystems in Southern California, including Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Preserve, and Tijuana River Mouth State Marine Conservation Area. These areas are critical habitats for leopard sharks, bottlenose dolphins, California spiny lobster, and over 300 bird species. They also provide recreational sites used by many low-income and park deficient communities in south San Diego County and Tijuana.

Clean Water Campaign photo
Activists participate in WILDCOAST’s Clean Water campaign, 2004.

WILDCOAST has been working on border pollution issues since 2004 with binational campaigns for clean water and beaches (right). In 2010, WILDCOAST led a waste study that determined that 33 percent of debris found in this area were plastics and polyethylene. Since then, WILDCOAST has helped pass legislation in California to reduce plastic waste in the watershed, piloted a tire recycling project in Tijuana, and engaged more than 10,000 residents in cleanups, restoration, and advocacy.

Plastic Capture Technology

WILDCOAST’s Clean Currents Coalition project is located specifically in Tijuana’s Los Laureles canyon. The estimated 65,000 residents of the canyon generate around 54,740 tons of solid waste per day, or about 752 grams per person. Calculations reveal that less than two percent of the waste generated in Los Laureles is collected by Tijuana’s Public Services Agency; the remaining is abandoned by residents on the banks of the tributary. Seasonal rains create a strong stream flow that pulls in that waste, posing significant public health and ecosystem threats downstream.

Waste accumulates in Los Laureles Canyon, which meets the Tijuana River before it enters the Pacific Ocean.
Waste accumulates in Los Laureles Canyon, which meets the Tijuana River before it enters the Pacific Ocean.

As a solution, with the support of CCC, WILDCOAST will install the first-ever plastic retention system in Mexico to collect this waste before it arrives at the Tijuana River. The objective is to analyze and recycle this waste and prevent it from reaching the fragile coastal and marine ecosystems of the Pacific Ocean.

WILDCOAST will install the retention system within a drainage box located in a paved area of ​​the stream. This will provide better maneuverability for proper and safe management of the retained waste. This system consists of a heavy-duty containment barrier called a BRUTE BOOM, which is designed to optimally contain floating and submerged trash. With the help of the community, the waste will be sorted and re-used for local repurposing and recycling.

The design of the BRUTE BOOM, to be installed in Los Laureles Canyon.
The design of the BRUTE BOOM, to be installed in Los Laureles Canyon.

Community, Communications, & Policy

WILDCOAST has also developed a communications strategy involving community outreach and a city-wide campaign, with the goal of creating behavioral change in Tijuana regarding plastic consumption and disposal. The strategy includes: community forums in Los Laureles to better understand the communities’ view on plastic waste in their neighborhood; awareness campaigns; and a set of actions for community-based solutions to reduce plastic waste in the Tijuana River.

Local celebrities such as the Tijuana baseball team, Los Toros, the Tijuana soccer team, Xolos, as well as the iconic lucha libre wrestler El Hijo del Santo, will be associated with the campaigns to strengthen the message and broaden outreach. These campaign messages will be broadcasted on local, national, and international news outlets to push for the behavioral change needed to clean Tijuana and the border region. WILDCOAST will also meet with local and state officials in Tijuana to present data from the plastic-intercepting device to advocate for improved waste infrastructure and shifts to alternative materials in Tijuana’s communities.

WILDCOAST is very excited to embark on this unique opportunity to stop ocean-bound plastic waste on the US-Mexico border.

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Tackling River Plastic Waste: Introducing the Clean Currents Coalition

Oil Spill
The blowout of Union Oil’s Platform A released 3 million gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, coating 800 sq. miles of ocean and killing thousands of seabirds, marine mammals, and fish. It is the third largest oil spill in the history of the United States, behind only the BP Deepwater Horizon and Exxon Valdez spills. (Photo: Santa Barbara Maritime Museum/Dick Smith Collection)

On January 28, 1969, catastrophe struck. When an offshore oil platform off the California coast experienced a blow-out, over 3 million gallons of crude oil gushed into the Pacific Ocean. But while a black tide smothered the coastline, a green tide rose in the small California seaside town of Santa Barbara and quickly spread across the globe. In 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated. Today it is the largest secular observance in the world, engaging over 1 billion people in 192 countries.

Fifty years later, the penchant for sparking global action remains strong in Santa Barbara. The Benioff Ocean Initiative, based at the University of California Santa Barbara, channels that spirit of global action to tackle the most pressing issues facing our ocean. Only now the focus has shifted to a new environmental problem: plastics.

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) campus, home to the Benioff Ocean Initiative at the Marine Science Institute. (Photo: Marine Science Institute, UCSB).

Plastics are remarkable materials. They are strong, durable, flexible, and easy to produce. From their use in cars and electronics to food packaging and healthcare, plastics are ubiquitous in modern life. Since 1950, over 7.8 billion tons of new plastics have been produced – the equivalent of 1 ton for every person currently living on Earth.

Of those 7.8 billion tons, only 9% have ever been recycled.

Some have been incinerated (12%), but the vast majority remain overflowing in landfills and accumulating in the environment. And once they are in the environment, the ultimate fate of many plastics is the ocean. Every year, up to 12 million tons of plastics enter the ocean. It is predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastics in the ocean by weight than fish.

While some plastics — like fishing gear — enter the ocean directly, most are transported from land, much of which is via rivers. Up to 275 tons of plastics enter the ocean from rivers every hour.

Because of this, rivers offer a unique opportunity to fight the plastics crisis. In the ocean, plastics are carried to hard-to-reach places like the open ocean, down the water column, and to the sea floor. Rivers, on the other hand, are accessible, relatively shallow, and act as point sources of plastics. To turn off the tap of plastics entering the ocean, rivers are a great place to start.

Theoretical design of a river plastic capture device. Floating booms guide plastic waste to collection points.

With this knowledge, the Benioff Ocean Initiative and The Coca-Cola Foundation have partnered to create and support a global network of innovative, mission-driven problem solvers: the Clean Currents Coalition.

Consisting of 9 teams in 9 different countries, the Clean Currents Coalition is combating the flow of plastic waste from rivers to the ocean. The interdisciplinary teams of the Clean Currents Coalition are developing new and innovative technologies to capture plastic waste in highly-polluted rivers and to repurpose and recycle the collected materials.

But the intervention doesn’t stop there. While there are many noble plastics clean up efforts underway around the world, the Clean Currents Coalition is taking it one step further. Through extensive data collection and pioneering the use of new technologies like artificial intelligence, we are compiling a standardized, global dataset of plastic waste in the environment to better inform scientific research and management strategies. The teams are also working closely with their local communities to create real change surrounding policy, infrastructure, and behavior related to plastic waste. Our goal is that one day, thanks to the Clean Currents Coalition, there will no longer be plastic waste in our rivers to remove.

Mapping the rivers illustration
The Clean Currents Coalition consists of 9 teams working in 9 countries: Ecuador (Portoviejo River), India (Assi River), Indonesia (Citarum River), Jamaica (Kingston Harbor), Kenya (Nairobi & Athi Rivers), Mexico (Tijuana River), Panama (Matías Hernández River), Thailand (Lat Phrao Canal), and Vietnam (Song Hong River).

Today, each Clean Currents Coalition team is working in one community on one river system. But together, through collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and a common goal, our ambition is to use what we learn and help replicate these successes to more and more river communities around the world. We are taking the lead on global action to fight a global problem.

Join us on the journey of the Clean Currents Coalition. Follow us on this blog as we share the unique stories of these rivers and their communities as they work towards cleaner currents.