plastic

Take Your Plastic Advocacy to the Next Level

July 19, 2022 by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

The news headlines about plastic are grim. A dead whale with 33 pounds of plastic in its stomach; a seal with a frisbee stuck around its neck; microplastics found in the meat and milk we consume. Each of us feels the weight of the plastic crisis and wants to take action. We’ve said no to plastic packaging and found plastic-free alternatives to common household items. But what can we do beyond recycling and limiting our own dependence on single-use plastics? How do we level up our individual actions? We’ve outlined a few ways to channel your positive energy into effective plastic-fighting advocacy campaigns that build upon your everyday efforts.

Have a conversation

A meaningful conversation can be an effective way to promote plastic reduction efforts in your area. Do you like a particular product or store, but you wish they would reduce or eliminate their use of plastic? Take a moment to ask the business to consider reducing their packaging or switching to a reusable alternative. Talk, call, or send an email. Businesses may be resistant at first, but if they hear the same request from multiple customers, they may consider making some changes.

Spread Awareness While You Scroll

Digital platforms can be an effective way to advance plastic-reduction messaging. You’re likely on social media anyway, so pour a cup of tea and commit half an hour to liking and sharing plastic-related posts, articles, and videos that will have a positive ripple effect. Today, brands are sensitive about how they are perceived online, an awareness you can leverage to help create change.

Make it personal. Write a sentence or two to personalize a post when you share or reshare.
Tag people and businesses that you think may be interested.
Use hashtags to broaden your reach.

Write a Letter to the Editor of Your Local Paper

Formulate a concise, fact-based letter that outlines your concerns about plastic and makes the issue personal and directly related to your community. Explain how readers in your area will be affected by the plastic crisis. Invite decision-makers to take action.

Engage in the Civic Process

Vote, Vote, Vote. Local elections have far-reaching effects. Support politicians who will prioritize the environment. Call or email your state representatives to voice your support for single-use plastic reduction policies or attend a city council or regional government meeting to make a public statement.

New Report Outlines a Comprehensive Approach to Prevent Ocean Plastic Pollution

February 2, 2022 by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

[En Español]

How can we address the global issue of plastic waste? A new report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS), titled Reckoning with the U.S. Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste, not only evaluates the United States’ contribution to plastic production and waste generation, it also offers recommendations for reducing the amount of plastic that makes its way to the ocean.

The NAS study, required by the bipartisan Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020, reports that the U.S. generated more plastic waste in 2016 than any country in the world—a total of 42 million metric tons (MMT) and estimates that in 2016 about 1 to 2 MMT of US-generated plastic waste entered the environment in the U.S. and abroad. Previous studies estimate that globally 8 MMT of plastic waste enters the world’s ocean each year.

The report found that the leading sources of ocean plastics include stormwater systems, wastewater discharges, atmospheric deposits, trash from boats and ships, beach waste, and transport from inland areas by rivers and streams.

These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced tracking and monitoring to gather comprehensive data and address knowledge gaps by employing technologies such as sensors, biochemical markers, and tracers, as well as the implementation of standardized measurements to collect meaningful data sets that are scientifically robust and comparable.

Recommended Interventions

What steps can the U.S. take to reduce the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean? The report recommends that a variety of interventions be implemented across various stages of plastic’s path from source to ocean.

As a fundamental step, the study suggests that the U.S. reduce overall plastic production to affect change throughout the waste stream. And, with system-wide solutions in mind, the report also recommends that the U.S. improve waste management infrastructure and accelerate innovations in material and product design to develop plastic substitutes that degrade more quickly or are easily recycled.

Physical interventions include frequent cleanups, improving the methods used to remove plastic waste from the environment such as extracting plastic waste from stormwater, and reducing the amount of plastic waste that enters the ocean directly from vessels via the establishment of waste disposal infrastructure, incentives for land-based disposal of fishing nets and gear, better tracking methods, and increased enforcement.

Ultimately, the report recommends the creation of a federal research and policy strategy that focuses on identifying and implementing interventions throughout the plastic life cycle.

The NAS report not only provides an informative assessment of the U.S.’s contribution to the global ocean plastic problem, but it also offers actionable recommendations that, if implemented, may position the US as a global leader in reducing plastic pollution and creating a more circular economy. In this sense, the report presents an opportunity to effect positive change and transform our nation’s approach to mitigating plastic pollution.

What Can We Do?

As an organization, Channelkeeper works to reduce the flow of plastic pollution to the ocean through an array of advocacy, monitoring, outreach, and education initiatives and as a lead community voice supporting the transition away from single-use plastics. We conduct cleanups, advocate for local ordinances to minimize distribution of these single-use plastic items by using less harmful alternatives, and we support a film plastic recycling program in partnership with Abblitt’s Fine Cleaners that converts plastic waste into pellets used for decking and other household materials.

On an individual level, each of us can take steps to reduce the flow of plastics into the environment. We can lessen the plastic used in our lives and choose products that come in minimal packaging. We can leverage our purchasing power to choose more sustainable options by purchasing secondhand items and products in bulk, and by reusing items rather than buying new ones. We can also simply recycle the plastic items that we use. Finally, we can support government policies that reduces plastic use. Support government initiatives at the city, county, state, and federal level to reduce the use of single-use plastics and hold businesses accountable for the packaging they produce.

In November of 2022, every Californian will have an opportunity to take action against plastic pollution by voting in support of the California Plastic Waste Reduction Regulations Initiative. If passed, the law would require the State to take steps to reduce plastic waste including requiring that single-use plastic packaging, containers, and utensils be reusable, recyclable, or compostable. It would also tax producers of single-use plastics and use the revenue to fund recycling and environmental programs.

We invite you to learn more about this upcoming ballot initiative and support federal legislation like the Federal Break Free from Plastic Act of 2020, which would hold plastic producers fiscally responsible for collecting, managing, and recycling or composting their products after consumer use and would establish minimum percentages of products that must be reused, recycled, or composted.

Reducing the amount of plastic waste that finds its way into the environment will require the combined efforts of legislative action, producer responsibility, and consumer pressure. Channelkeeper is pleased to support the transition away from plastic and continues to take an active role in pollution reduction through ocean pollution monitoring and prevention, in addition to political advocacy and community education.

Knowledge is Power for Meaningful Plastic Reduction

July 6, 2021 by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

If you look around your living space, you’ll likely notice that nearly everything involves plastic, from the furniture and electronics to your favorite shirt and the packaging that keeps your salad fresh.

Plastic is composed of polymers—typically made from fossil fuels—that allow it to be malleable or rigid, flimsy or durable. These qualities make plastic useful for a variety of purposes but also allow it to persist in the environment. Instead of biodegrading, plastic breaks into smaller pieces that can leach chemicals and contaminate water sources.

An estimated 50% of plastic used daily is considered single-use, or disposable items that are designed for short-term functionality but will last in the environment for decades. Plastic pollution has significant impacts locally and globally, which is why reducing single-use plastic continues to be a major focus of Channelkeeper’s work.

Reducing our reliance on single-use plastic on an individual level can have a real impact, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. Doing a plastic audit is an excellent way to evaluate the amount of plastic you use and use this insight to pinpoint areas where you can reduce your reliance on plastic with zero-waste alternatives.

How to Conduct a Plastic Audit:

Collect the waste you accumulate in one week.
Separate trash by material, placing any plastic items in a separate pile.
Estimate the volume or percentage of waste in each pile and write down totals.
Make note of any frequently discarded plastic items and ways to avoid plastic waste. What swaps can you make?
Set goals to reduce your reliance on plastics. Reflect on these goals on a regular basis and track your progress.

Arianna’s Path to Plastic Reduction

In honor of Plastic Free July, Channelkeeper communications volunteer Arianna McDonald conducted her own week-long plastic audit. Along the way, she learned about her individual plastic usage and found areas where she could reduce her reliance on plastics. We’re grateful for her hard work and her willingness to share these valuable insights from her experience.

Hi, I’m Arianna, a fourth-year university student at UCSB, majoring in political science. My studies at UCSB have inspired me to take personal responsibility for taking care of the environment and practice ways of living more sustainably. In preparation for Plastic Free July (my first one!) I decided to do a plastic audit in order to figure out where most of my plastic waste comes from and to find the best strategy for reducing my overall consumption. Follow along with me to see what I found!

Sunday

I went out for brunch with friends. After our meal, I still had half of my burrito left and chose to use the restaurant’s to-go container, even though it was made of plastic so that I didn’t waste food.

Monday

This morning I went to work out at the campus gym. We’re required to wipe down the equipment after we use it with disposable wipes, which contain plastic fibers. Afterward, I noticed that the oil in my car was low, so I bought a couple of quarts of oil from the gas station, and they came in plastic containers. I went to the library to do some schoolwork and was a bit hungry, so I decided to buy a smoothie. The bottle and label are made of plastic and can possibly be recycled. I had a pear after my dinner and found that the produce sticker was also made of plastic. Produce stickers are so frustrating because a piece of fruit should be the least harmful to the environment to eat, and yet those pesky stickers complicate things! I guess one way to avoid this would be to shop at the farmer’s market. Noted! Next week I’ll bring my own bag and my shopping will be as waste-free as it gets.

Tuesday

*Plastic is everywhere–even the label on this glass bottle is made of plastic.*

I went on campus to study and had a muffin for breakfast. The muffin came wrapped in plastic wrap inside a plastic bag. I bought a can of tea, which I recycled when I was finished, but the store receipt cannot be recycled or composted since it is coated in toxic materials called Bisphenol A or BPA. My housemates wanted to have a movie night, so we made some hot chocolate and popcorn. The hot chocolate packets and parmesan cheese packets were made out of non-recyclable plastic and plastic-covered paper.

Wednesday

This morning was gloomy, so I decided to make some muffins from a mix. The mix came sealed in a plastic bag. As a busy college student, I consume a lot of caffeine, and with a full day of work ahead, I decided to buy a tea. The drink came in a glass bottle (which I felt good about) but the label was made of plastic. I also kept the receipt because it can’t be recycled or composted.

Thursday

I sipped some tea this morning, and the bag came in a plastic sleeve. Since it was a Thursday and the last day I had class, I decided that I would go visit a brewery downtown with my boyfriend. They gave us wristbands, which are made of a plastic-y paper material. It was a colder night than usual, and we were craving soup, so afterward we went to a restaurant for some ramen. I was unable to finish mine so had to ask for a to-go container to take the rest home. Leftovers 2, me 0.

Friday

Today I finally decided to get rid of my ratty toothbrush and switch it out for a new one. I bought them in a pack so I still have another plastic one, but I decided that after this I am going to get a brush with a bamboo handle that can be composted.

I had a headache while I was at work, so I bought some aspirin from the store, which came in a little plastic sachet. Although this worked in a pinch, I get headaches pretty frequently so in the future I will remember to buy painkillers in bulk and keep them in my car to reduce my single-use plastic use.

Saturday

I went out for brunch for my friend’s birthday. This time, however, I remembered my own container! I felt a little silly whipping it out (especially after I’d finished my entire meal), but my friends were really supportive and commented on what a good idea it was to bring one along. They decided to start bringing their own containers too. Maybe I am finally starting to get the hang of this! Last week I ordered a new bathing suit for summer. It arrived today, shipped in plastic packaging. The tags also had a plastic coating, and the sizing stickers were made of plastic. I purchased the swimsuit from a Black-owned company that uses sustainable practices, which I value and felt was worth the tradeoff. I also received some mail from the city, and they used those envelopes with a little plastic window to display my address. Although these are accepted in recycling facilities, I decided to count it as plastic waste because I am uncertain as to whether or not these items are actually being recycled.

Key Takeaways

As I finish out the week, I am beginning to notice a few themes in my plastic consumption. My busy schedule and hectic days often lead me to be unprepared, and therefore I find myself turning to plastic products for convenience. I found that most of my plastic consumption comes from food and drink packaging since I am on the go and eat out pretty frequently. If I can remember to keep a reusable to-go container with me in my bag, and maybe pack some of my snacks/meals at home to take with me, I could use less plastic and packaging.

Overall, the plastic audit was really helpful. The insights that I gathered by evaluating my usage will help guide my plastic reduction strategy in the coming months. I look forward to making choices that will benefit the environment and might even save me money in the long run.

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper’s Plastic Film Festival

May 20, 2021 by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

Watch, Learn & Take Action

Plastic pollution is a mounting global concern, and it has significant impacts locally, which is why reducing single-use plastic continues to be a major focus of Channelkeeper’s work. In an effort to help educate and inspire our community, we’ve compiled a list of seven informative films about plastic that are available to stream online. It’s the perfect opportunity to host a documentary film festival in the comfort of your home.

People often think of plastic pollution as litter. However, plastic pollution is more than the clutter of single-use items that wash down storm drains and collect on our beaches. Plastic has severe consequences throughout its lifecycle. From oil drilling and refining to plastic production and waste, every stage is detrimental to human health, and these harmful processes have created a social justice crisis, since the most vulnerable communities are often disproportionately affected.

Plastics are poisoning our bodies through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Recent studies show that on average, each of us consumes a credit-card-sized amount of microplastics every week, which can carry toxic chemicals such as carcinogens and endocrine disrupters.

Plastic is also a contributor to climate change. More than 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels. Today, about 4-8% of annual global oil consumption is associated with plastics, according to the World Economic Forum. Plastic production is expected to more than double over the next three decades. If this reliance on plastics persists, plastics will account for 20% of oil consumption by 2050.

Channelkeeper continues to work locally to educate the community about the impacts of single-use plastic and ways to reduce its use, while also continuing to advocate for local policies to reduce single-use plastic and helping to set an example for the state. With studies predicting that plastic pollution in the ocean will likely triple over the next decade, we recognize the urgency of taking immediate action to address this crisis.

We invite you to watch these films, discuss them–and then join us in taking action.

A Plastic Ocean (1hr 42m)
Available on: Netflix or Amazon
This 2016 documentary follows a team of scientists and researchers as well as record-breaking freediver and activist Tanya Streeter, as they travel to 20 different locations across the globe. Directed by journalist Craig Leeson, the film juxtaposes beautiful shots of the ocean with contrasting views of polluted cities and landfills teeming with rubbish. The film reveals how plastic in the ocean gets mistaken for food by marine animals, and goes on to harm organisms all the way up the food chain, including humans.

Frontline’s Plastic Wars (54m)
Stream on PBS
FRONTLINE and NPR team up to investigate the surge of plastic waste in the environment. Plastic Wars reveals how plastic makers have publicly promoted recycling for decades, despite privately expressing doubts that widespread plastic recycling would ever be economically viable.

Inside the Garbage of the World (54m)
Available on: Amazon Prime
This film explores the plastic island in the Pacific and reveals that the situation is actually more dire than anyone anticipated. Directors Philippe and Maxine Carillo evoke a sense of urgency in changing our behavior in order to preserve our planet and our way of life.

Microplastic Madness (1hr 16m)
Vimeo Trailer / Available on YouTube
Told from a child’s perspective, this film follows 56 fifth graders from Brooklyn as they investigate plastic pollution in their community. They collect data which they use to inform policy and set out to rid their cafeteria of all plastic.

Plastic China (1 hr, 22 m)
Available on: Amazon Prime
This film relates the story of people in China who live surrounded by plastic. Tons and tons of plastic are exported to China to be recycled and manufactured into something new. Yi-Jie is an 11-year-old girl whose family lives in one of these waste workshops. Plastic China shows the price that living and working under these circumstances has on their health and way of life.

Plastic Paradise (57m)
Available for rent on Amazon
This film takes us to Midway Atoll, an unincorporated territory of the US off Hawaii, and the site of the Battle of Midway during WWII. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no civilization nearby, the atoll has become a collection site for the waste of the world. Brought in by the currents and tides, the atoll is littered with a massive amount of plastic and garbage that is degrading the paradise which surrounds it, which has become the case all over the Pacific, leading it to be dubbed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Journalist Angela Sun narrates, writes, and directs the film, interviewing a variety of ocean experts, scientists, and advocates.

The Story of Plastic (1hr 35m)
Available on: DiscoveryGo or for rent on Amazon
With powerful insight, this eye-opening film provides a comprehensive look at the global plastic pollution crisis and the ways in which the oil and gas industry has manipulated the narrative around it. The film highlights the fact that, as consumers, our everyday choices add up.