Our Plastic Habit

[BoMan]

I'm doing my part not to use plastic and to pack it out after every sesh. but I wonder...when will clean air and water matter more than profit? All too soon even the wealthy will not escape pollution!

Do you see much in the water where you surf?

Every year, we produce around 300 million tons of plastic and 8.8 million tons of that gets dumped into the oceans every year. The problem with this is plastic never really disappears, but rather photodegrades into smaller and smaller pieces – making it a persistent threat to marine life. Currently, almost 700 marine species are threatened with extinction because of this material.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/plastic-bottles-washed-up-miles-from-maldives

[mjames]

Seal Beach is really the only place I find trash in the water, the rest of the places I surf around North OC are pretty clean in the water. The beach however is a different story, I try to pick up some trash every time I surf and participate in beach cleanups, but it is really surprising to me the amount of people who really don't give a crap about littering. I tell everyone the ocean is like my back yard, and I don't throw trash in their back yard so don't throw it in mine.

[oldmansurfer]

We get stuff washing up on the beach and garbage left at the beach. I used to go make rounds every time I went surfing to pick up stuff. In those days I walked the dog when my wife went in the ocean and vice versa. Dog died so now we both go in at the same time but I still try to pick up stuff if it is nearby but my area involved is much smaller. I suspect much of what we get comes from commercial fishing (except the trash on the beach).

[oldgrom22]

Oh man, that's horrible, I'd be scared to paddle out in that

I see things from time to time, but that's limited to a candy/drink wrapper here or there when out in the water. I find the problem is on the beach where you have inconsiderate donkeys just leaving their trash strewn all over the place. I've even witnessed a group of about 15 people(adults/children) just get up grab their towels/chairs etc and leave all their trash on the sand(this was with a trashcan not more than 20 feet away). Worse part, they got called out by some bystanders but just ignored them and kept walking towards the parking lot. It's a shame, the few of us around that were left dumbstruck by the move just shook our heads and cleaned up after them. Forgot which vid it was, but was watching one where the surfer on it said something along the lines of how everytime he comes in from a sesh, he doesn't leave until he grabs at least a few pieces of trash to toss out. That'd be awesome if everyone that visited our beaches adopted that mentality. Embarassed to say it's been a couple years since I took part in a beach cleanup, will have to get a group going and join in on the effort.

[billie_morini]

About 50% of the time Roxy ridgeback and I take long walks along the pristine Gaviota Coast beaches, I find a mylar balloon or plastic bag. I try to collect them for proper disposal.

[RinkyDink]

ocean_plastic_video2.jpg

I'm doing my part not to use plastic and to pack it out after every sesh. but I wonder...when will clean air and water matter more than profit? All too soon even the wealthy will not escape pollution!

I got two 40 oz. hydroflasks and pretty much don't need plastic bottles any more.

[drowningbitbybit]

I'm on the Gold Coast in Queensland, and it's genuinely rare to see a piece of rubbish on the beach or in the ocean.

Everyone here is pro-beach - they're either surfers or they rely on the tourist trade for their jobs, and so anyone dropping litter would soon find that litter stuffed where the sun don't shine.

[drowningbitbybit]

Back in the UK, I was a member of Surfers Against Sewage, and one of their mottoes was...

"For every great wave you get, pick up a piece of litter off the beach"

...which would be great if everyone did it. I don't see all that much litter on the beach here, and due to shoulder injury I've not had that many great waves recently, but I will still pick litter off the beach whenever I see it.

[BoMan]

Oldmansurfer
I suspect much of what we get comes from commercial fishing.

Sorry to hear it. I hope it’s not fish net.

oldgrom22
I've even witnessed a group of about 15 people(adults/children) just get up grab their towels/chairs etc and leave all their trash on the sand(this was with a trashcan not more than 20 feet away).

I constantly bring this up with students and their parents at our school. They will do the same thing after soccer games. Learning new habits requires lots of repetition!

Drowningbybit
Everyone here is pro-beach - they're either surfers or they rely on the tourist trade for their jobs, and so anyone dropping litter would soon find that litter stuffed where the sun don't shine.

That’s the spirt!

[benjl]

If people stop buying plastic packaging then I'm out of a job

[jaffa1949]

In the near future, I hope you have another meaningful job, say finding uses for micro plastic remnant plastic granules and ever recyclable usage!

[Big H]

Rainy season....friggin' filthy here.....part of the routine is to paddle to position, sit up on the board, grab and throw whatever garbage is touching your body as far as you can.....

Recently a widespread campaign has caught on for asking customers if they want their items in a plastic bag.....if so a nominal charge is assessed (200-300rp or 1-2c usd)....I have witnessed many people declining the plastic bag for items in mini marts..............it is a start....