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Surfrider Surfrider FoundationFoundation

Monterey ChapterMonterey Chapter

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• History

• Quantities

• Marine life

• Toxicity

• Solutions

FOR A FISH!

When did plastics become so popular?

1955 Life Magazine

article: “Throwaway Living”

Photo from AMRF

• History• Quantities• Marine life• Toxicity• Solutions

Pre-production plastic pellets

How is plastic made?

Nurdles

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In the U.S. we go through: -274 million plastic bags per day …or… 100 billion annually -45 million water bottles per day …or… 16.5 billion annually

Ballona Creek after a rainstorm

Lover’s Point, Pacific Grove, after a rainstorm, February 2008.

Beth Cort

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

A giant, eternal swirling spiral of floating trash - 2 times the size of Texas- 90% plastic- 80% land-based

6 x more plastic than plankton

1999 Plastic to plankton ratio = 6:1

2008 Plastic to plankton ratio =

http://news.bbc.co.uk

Laysan Albatross at Midway Atoll

What do you see in the stomach of this albatross chick?

“Litter does not distinguish itself between biodegradable or non-biodegradable.”

American Chemistry Council letter to the City of Monterey, 2/6/2008

Gregg Segal

http://news.bbc.co.uk

Turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish.

What does this look like?

A jellyfi

Many species suffer from ingestion and entanglement of plastics bags.

©Dino Ferri http://www.auduboninstitute.org/zoo

NOAANOAA

Entanglement of plastic six-pack holders and rings…

Approximately100,000

synthetic chemicals introduced in the

50 last years…

Plastics both absorb and

leach chemicals

Plastics absorb POPs, such as PCB’s and DDT.

PCB DDT

Mato, Y et al, Environmental Science & Technology

Plastics and Styrofoam are toxics sponges.Japanese study found up to 1 million times more pollutants onplastics pieces than in ambient seawater.

Plastics leach the chemicals they are made of.

1) Bisphenol A - plastics hardener- DVD’s,canned food lining, older Nalgene bottles

Found in the urine of 93% of the U.S. population.

Links to breast cancer, obesity, mood disorders, etc.

Hunt, Patricia August 1998, Current Biology

2) Phthalates - a class of plastics softeners - nail polish, children’s toys, teething rings, bath books, moisturizers, cosmetics

Easily release into environment as the plastic ages and breaks down over time.

Endocrine disruptors / hormone mimickers

The New Double Standard

Toys are manufactured Toys are manufactured with phthalateswith phthalates for the for the American marketAmerican market

Toys are manufactured Toys are manufactured without phthalateswithout phthalates for for the European Union & other markets following the European Union & other markets following their REACH Act lead (Mexico, Argentina, Japan, their REACH Act lead (Mexico, Argentina, Japan, Canada etc)Canada etc)

EU banned phthalates in children’s toys in 1999 and cosmetics in 2004

Mark Schapiro- Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products, and What's at Stake for American Power

Ad from the American Chemistry Council

2008 - SB 1713 - ban BPA from baby bottles, sippy cups and other baby food & beverage containers.

What can we do?

BYO bag BYO mug BYO to-go container BYO H2O!

If your hands are free - pick up three! Pick up plastic trash on beaches, and cut plastic rings & 6+ pack holders. Think ONE LESS PIECE.

BYO BYO BYO BYO BYO BYO BYO BYO

REFUSE REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

Do a plastics audit in your home or business, see where you can cut back (e.g. bar soap vs liquid soap). Homemade salsa!

Go to a local council meeting and educate your elected officials. Use your vote. Use your voice. Spread the word…

Engage yourself in the everyday choices you make: look at packaging, read labels, ask questions…

Demand EPR legislation…

PLASTICS RECYCLING RATE - 75% U.S. - 5%

Germany

- Implemented packaging take back programs

- Redesigned packaging:-Container shapes and sizes reduced-Quantities of layers reduced

Draft Marine Debris Implementation Strategy CA Ocean Protection Council

“Now packaged with less plastic.” SanDisc Memory Card at Costco

Plastic Generation and Recovery

You must be the change

you wish to see in the world.

- Gandhi -

Never doubt that a small group

of thoughtful, committedcitizens can change the

world; indeed it’s the

only thing that ever has.- Margaret Mead-

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Use Agreement (June, 2010)

•This material may be viewed and displayed for educational use only.

•Content may be copyrighted and/or owned by individuals and entities other than, and in addition to, Surfrider Foundation Monterey Chapter and NOAA.

•BWET MDCOP participant, educators and students may incorporate these materials into their lesson plans, presentations, and worksheet in hard copy and digital format for internal educational use only.

•No organization or person (whether an educational body or not) may incorporate this material into any media for promotional or commercial purpose whatsoever.

•For further information and questions please contact Ximena Waissbluth at xw@surfrider.org

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