Oceanside's Bliss Tea & Treats Gives Free Drinks For Beach Litter

OCEANSIDE, CA — Keeping our beaches clean is a priority for every Oceansider, but one local business owner is taking it a step further by inviting visitors to collect a bucket of litter in return for a free drink. Rushell Gordon, owner of Bliss Tea & Treats in Oceanside, came up with the idea to raise awareness and encourage people to take action to preserve our beaches. The sign outside the Bliss location is just 2 blocks from the beach.

"We started this project of encouraging people to grab a bucket and clean up litter and get a free drink in support of Beach Clean up Week, but it's also just the right thing to do right?" says Rushell, "The community has really been inspired by it and this morning I came in and there were two buckets sitting out front waiting for me. So that was a good thing. Usually, I'm not happy about trash on the patio but I was happy about this trash on the patio."

Bliss Tea & Treats is a theme-based tea room and changes themes on a regular basis. The upcoming theme is a Mad Hatter Tea party that will go through Halloween. They are also doing National Wife Appreciation Day. For Daughter's Day they will have a kids book reading and encourage people to come in and have high tea.

Rushell's daughter was helping mom out in the Tea Room when we visited.

We can all do our part like Rushell and help keep Oceanside beaches clean. Grab a bucket, fill it with litter from the beach and get a free drink at Bliss Tea & Treats located at 301 Mission Ave #101A, Oceanside. Stop by Wednesday- Sunday 11-5pm.

How to keep your local beach clean

Oceanside is fortunate to have 3 miles of coastline that we get to enjoy, but we need to take responsibility for looking after it if we want to protect it for future generations. Here’s how you can help:

Pick up your trash. This is the simplest and easiest thing you can do, but it really helps. If the garbage bins provided are full, or you aren’t near a bin, take your trash home with you.

Take your own homemade snacks to the beach. Make your snacks before you leave home, then they’re likely to be healthier, and less likely to be wrapped in endless packaging.

Eating on the go? Help the environment and local businesses by buying your food and drinks from a beach restaurant. But don’t get a disposable straw with your drink as most of them just end up on the beach.

Use a refillable drink container. Whether it’s a refillable water bottle or a reusable coffee cup, it’s better for the environment and your pocket.

Join in the upcoming 37th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 18, 2021 from 9am to noon. Last year, volunteers helped to protect the coast by cleaning up their neighborhoods to honor the spirit of the cleanup while maintaining safety precautions. About 7,800 San Diegans volunteered alongside their families, friends, coworkers, school groups, and community to prevent trash from entering storm drains, creeks, and rivers, all of which eventually lead to the ocean. This year, join Green Oceanside in removing trash and plastic pollution that has been accumulating since we last were able to gather for an organized cleanup event! What is Coastal Cleanup Day? Coastal Cleanup Day is the world’s largest annual volunteer event to remove pollution from our environment. The event is part of International Coastal Cleanup Day, which is facilitated by the Ocean Conservancy and includes many U.S. states and territories, and over 70 countries! In California, Coastal Cleanup Day is a partnership between the California Coastal Commission, nonprofit groups, cities, and counties throughout the state. Since 1985, over 970,000 volunteers have removed over 26 million pounds of litter and debris all over California.

How can you get involved? It’s easy! This year, Green Oceanside is hosting cleanup sites at various locations along the San Luis Rey River and Buena Vista Creek. Volunteers of all ages are invited to join and can find information on locations to volunteer at in Oceanside at www.GreenOceanside. org. Registration and waivers will need to be signed by all participants either in advance or on the day of the event. Green Oceanside also encourages volunteers to participate throughout the month of September by cleaning up their neighborhoods, parks, and local areas. Cleaning up your community can help prevent thousands of pounds of debris from entering our stormwater systems and ultimately our coast and ocean. To learn more on how to participate at a cleanup event this month, visit www.GreenOceanside.org.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how we can improve Oceanside-Camp Pendleton Patch? Interested in advertising your business in Oceanside? Email any inquiries to me at lisa.frost@patch.com.

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