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This project was funded through the 2020 United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) Implementation Act (P.L. 116-113), which provided the NOAA Marine Debris Program funding to prevent and reduce marine debris in the North American region. Chapter 24 of the USMCA includes specific environmental goals that highlight the need to take action to prevent and reduce marine debris, including plastic litter and microplastics, in order to preserve human health and marine and coastal ecosystems, prevent the loss of biodiversity, and mitigate the costs and impacts of marine debris. This project was awarded competitively and meets the environment goals of the USMCA by promoting waste infrastructure and capturing marine debris in the Tijuana River that is heading to communities in the United States.
WILDCOAST reduced ocean-bound debris by capturing trash in the Tijuana River and raising awareness through a city-wide campaign.
Type of Project: North America Marine Debris Prevention and Removal
Region: Mexico
Project Dates: October 2021 - September 2023
Who was involved?
With support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, WILDCOAST led this multi-collaborative effort with Yantec, ECOCE, and Recicladora Real to remove and recycle debris. WILDCOAST also carried out a campaign to raise awareness of the issue and engaged influential partners, such as local sports teams.
What was the project and why is it important?
With 73 percent of the Tijuana River Watershed in Mexico, the river and its tributaries flow through densely populated and growing communities in and around Tijuana. The river picks up and transports trash, waste tires, sewage, and other pollutants along its way to the Pacific Ocean. The result is a significant amount of cross-border waste in some of the most ecologically significant coastal and marine ecosystems in Southern California.
In January 2021, WILDCOAST installed a trash boom, a floating barrier used to capture and collect trash, in a sediment basin in Los Laureles Canyon, Mexico. Its management and maintenance was supported through this effort. Community members also removed debris by hand. To ensure responsible disposal and repurposing of debris, WILDCOAST worked with plastic recycling companies Yantec, ECOCE, and Recicladora Real.
A city-wide campaign in Tijuana and a binational campaign in Mexico and the United States aimed to increase consumer awareness and reduce the use of single-use plastics in the border region. This project benefited the United States by actively reducing marine debris in these communities, providing valuable regional marine debris data, and providing a scalable solution for addressing marine debris across the United States-Mexico border.
What were the results?
Throughout the project, WILDCOAST supported the Tijuana River Watershed and local communities by intercepting, recycling, and disposing of marine debris in alternative ways and increasing marine debris education through community art displays and other efforts. In fiscal year 2023, WILCOAST and partners removed, recycled, and repurposed over 118,388 lbs of debris. The project team also engaged 12 local communities through a plastic recycling contest, which led to the recovery of nearly 4.5 metric tons of plastic in just four months.
For more information about this project, visit the Marine Debris Program Clearinghouse.