http://www.surfrider.org/

Photo from AMRF

When did plastics become so popular?

Throwaway Living

What’s Made of Plastic?

What is Plastic Made of?

SY

NTH

ETIC

BIODEGRADEABLE

How many plastic beverage bottles get used every year in the US?

Q:

Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan

We use 50 billion plastic beverage bottles

every year in the US

DETAIL

50,000,000,000

Chris Jordan

Chr

is J

orda

n 100 billion plastic bags get

used each year in the US.

100,000,000,000

ACUTAL SIZE

“But I Recycle…”.

What percentage of plastic gets recycled in the US?

Less than 5% of plastics are recycled…

CIWMB White Paper

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

• A giant, eternal swirling spiral of floating trash• Twice the size of the US and growing• Home to an estimated 100 million tons of plastic

There is 42 times more plastic than plankton at some spots in the North Pacific gyre.

Source: Algalita Marine Research Foundation

How Does Plastic End Up In the Ocean?

LA Beaches After The Rain

Ballona Creek Algalita

Santa Monica Beach Ben Kay

All of this (more than a half-pound of plastic) was removed from the stomach of

an albatross, a large sea bird

How many marine animals die every year due to

Plastic?

A. 100

B. 100,000

C. 1,000,000,000

Q:

B100,000 marine mammals die each year because of plastic litter in the ocean.

Toxic Plastics

Plastics Leech the Chemicals They Are Made Of

Bisphenol A (BPA)• Plastic hardener• Used in DVDs, canned food

lining, baby bottles, water bottles

• Chemical found in 93% of Americans over the age of 6

Phthalates• Plastic softener • Found in toys, food

packaging, shower curtains, nail polish, hair spray and shampoo, baby teething rings

These Chemicals are ‘hormone mimickers’ that affect the

Endocrine System.

Plastic Bath

A study of 20 teens across America detected 16 chemicals from 4 chemical families including plastic (phthalates) in their

blood and urine.

Look up your products at SKIN DEEPwww.cosmeticsdatabase.com

Bring Your Own…

• WATER BOTTLE (stainless steel)

• BAG• CUP• TUPPERWARE• SILVERWEAR

Use Biodegradable (PLA)

Bioplastics are better, but not the answer•Require INDUSTRIAL COMPOSTING (140° and fed microbes)•Cannot be recycled; can contaminate if mixed in•“Renewable;” but genetically-modified•Does not emit GHG’s when incinerated•Don’t break down inthe water

THINK TWICE•Do you really need a bag for your bag of chips?•Ask the waiter to wrap in foil instead of styrofoam•Do you really need the straw?•Don’t buy things with excess packaging•Buy the can instead of the bottle•Shop at the farmer’s markets

REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE… then RECYCLE

Encourage EPR

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)– Companies that produce and package products are responsible

for the costs of collecting and disposing of their packaging waste

– Motivates producers to reduce the amount of waste they produce

• Adopted by Germany in 1991– Packaging waste reduced 14%

in first four years– Recycling rose to 75%

Spread the Word…with a SMILE

Share what you’ve learned

• Lead by example

• Ask your friends and family to join you

• Speak to city council

• Write letters to government officials

What will you do to rise above plastics?

You must be the change

you wish to see in the world.

- Gandhi -

For more information visit:

http://www.riseaboveplastics.blogspot.com/

www.greenambassadors.org

www.surfrider.org

http://5gyres.org/

www.algalita.org

www.seaofconsequences.blogspot.com

http://www.ewg.org/chemindex/term/468

PASS IT ON…