It’s estimated that one dollar invested in organizations like I Love A Clean San Diego County delivers seven dollars returned in community benefit. Might be hard to believe at first, but when this small nonprofit goes to work, the numbers speak for themselves.

Best known for its massive countywide environmental cleanup events like Creek to Bay Cleanup, International Coastal Cleanup Day and hundreds of other community cleanups organized each year, I Love A Clean San Diego, along with its thousands of volunteers, could be touted as the region’s largest cleanup crew – and they’d be proud of it. Yet, for more than 66 years, the nonprofit has delivered much more to the county’s residents through environmental education for youth and adults, and its recycling database to help people recycle and dispose of waste responsibly.

Corporate support from businesses of all sizes has played a critical role as they close in on 10 million pounds of litter removed and 400,000 students educated throughout Carlsbad and the County of San Diego.

“Our vision is to live in a region with no litter and where residents send very little to the landfill,” said Len Hering, the organization’s executive director and a retired Navy Rear Admiral. “We’re helping to crack that code and empower people to be part of the solution.”

To learn more about I Love A Clean San Diego, visit cleansd.org