Encinitas, CA, April 24, 2025 - The City of Encinitas Environmental Commission is proud to announce the winners of the 2024 Environmental Award Program (EAP). Now in its tenth year, the EAP celebrates deserving individuals, businesses, and non-profits for their exceptional commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability within the city.  Acknowledged at the April 23, 2025 City Council meeting, the 2024 winners are:

Excellence in Environmental Stewardship – For-profit Business: Nectarine Grove.
Nectarine Grove not only serves really good food, but they are also a leader in proper organic waste disposal for customers. Food is served primarily in reusable service wares, which customers then bus themselves. Nectarine Grove leads by example and demonstrates that organic waste is something that can and should be easily separated. Nectarine Grove’s mission is to work toward making a healthy community by serving food using all organic, local, and sustainable ingredients, and disposing waste in a way that reduces the amount of methane produced in landfills. Nectarine Grove also gives back to the community through their support of the Community Resource Center, Feeding San Diego, and food donations to Scripps Encinitas, in addition to other charities. By caring about organic waste, Nectarine Grove inspires customers to do the same. Rhiana Glor, owner of Nectarine Grove, explained that, “being sustainable for us means making choices today that ensure we can still serve our customers, support our community, and protect our planet tomorrow.”

Excellence in Environmental Stewardship – Non-profit Organization: Plastic Beach. Plastic Beach, led by Matthew Clough, has a vision that includes creating a sustainable world with effective plastic wrap recycling. By educating retailers, collaborating with recyclers, and finding like-minded partners, Plastic Beach has worked tirelessly to remove soft plastics from our waste stream. Soft plastic that wraps surfboards, retail parts, clothing, dry cleaning bags, grocery bags, bubble wrap, and more cannot be handled by the EDCO sorting facility because the material will clog the system. Plastic Beach, however, collects soft plastics and ships it to businesses that recycle soft plastics into new products, saving nearly 100,000 pounds of the material since 2019 from being wasted. Plastic Beach is helping both individuals and businesses lessen their plastic footprint and is making a true difference in our environment. Matthew Clough said he is “proud that Plastic Beach is being recognized for our efforts to introduce real and accountable plastic bag and plastic warp recycling to the Encinitas community and residents.”

Environmental Hero – Adult: Jim Brown. Jim Brown is a 77-year old Encinitas resident and has become a champion for cleaning our streets. Jim is a retired Marine and learned early the value of service. About 10 years ago, while walking for exercise, Jim started regularly picking up trash because he said, “I got tired of stepping over things while I was walking and looking at the view.”   He now goes out for trash walks about 150 times a year, resulting in an estimated 1,000 walks to remove litter so far. Jim likes to stop and say, “Hi,” to like-minded people he sees picking up trash. Recently, Jim was the first person to join StreetStewards.com, a program where you adopt the area of your neighborhood and highlight your route on a map. As individuals or families adopt streets, the online map marks those streets green. Jim would like to see all of Encinitas “go green!” Jim is nearly 80 years young, and an environmental hero for cleaning our community.

Environmental Hero – Youth: Jay Burke. Jay, a 17-year-old senior at San Dieguito Academy High School, is a committed environmentalist. He is a founding member of the North American Butterfly Association Butterfly Northern San Diego Coastal Count Circle. Jay contributes valuable data on butterfly populations, aiding in conservation efforts. Jay promotes sustainability through native landscaping, habitat restoration, and volunteering at the San Elijo Lagoon and San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy though the Exploring Our Sense of Place Program. He is also pursuing certification as a California Naturalist. Jay’s commitment to environmental education and stewardship makes him an outstanding young leader in local conservation and an environmental hero. Jay expressed that, “Ever since I was a baby my parents got me into nature. I’m excited for being acknowledged for something I enjoy.”

Photographed are this year’s Environmental Award winners with a representative from Senator Blakespear’s office, the City of Encinitas Councilmembers, and two Environmental Commissioners.

Front row: Carol Parker - Environmental Commission, Matt Rubel – District Representative from Senator Blakespear’s Office, Matthew Clough - Plastic Beach, Jim Brown, Jay Burke, Rhiana Glor and partner - Nectarine Grove, Mayor Bruce Ehlers

Back row: Mark O’Conner – Environmental Commission, Councilmember Luke Shaffer – District 1, Councilmember Jim O’Hara – District 2, Councilmember Marco San Antonio – District 4