For A Plastics-Free Summer!
Published: Thursday, May 24, 2018
By: Norm Schultz, Soundings Trade Only
We boaters are the original conservationists. We can point to our long-standing concern for clean water. So, while it’s upsetting to read recent headlines about 79-thousand tons of plastic debris in one area of the Pacific Ocean alone, it also highlights an issue boaters must actively get behind.
The story is that some 1.8 trillion plastic pieces now float in one study area the size of France! Dubbed the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” it draws attention to the problem found in waterways everywhere. Indeed, if you do as much boating as I do, you’ll regularly see things floating like empty plastic drink bottles, food takeout containers, foam bait boxes, plastic drink containers with straws, and more. Not long ago, I picked up a plastic bag on one of my outboards triggering the overheating alarm.
Plastic in any form is uniquely problematic because it’s not biodegradable. Even worse, scientists say a huge amount of the plastic pollution isn’t even visible because it is microscopic. These particles of plastic debris pose physical and toxicological risks to fish and other organisms. And, you don’t have to be a microbiologist to follow it up the food chain to… well, us!
It’s not that fish eat plastic water bottles or plastic bags. These days, people enjoy the feeling of tiny plastic beads used in scrubs and body washes. And, while some states have banned microbead products, according to the National Resources Defense Council, many wastewater treatment plants can’t get rid of the tiny plastic beads that wash down the drain. They end up in the waterways. Fish and other organisms mistake them for food. Need I say more?
In fact, plastic in our waters is so serious now that even the lowly plastic straw is a target. Across the country, from Florida’s Ft. Myers Beach to Malibu, California, communities are targeting single-use plastic straws, either discouraging their use or outright banning them.
Our straw use is mind boggling. On average, Americans use 500 million straws a day, according to the National Parks Service. Plastic straws are now in the top 10 trash items found on coastlines, says the Ocean Conservancy. They break into bite-size pieces rendering them an insidious threat to marine animals and the fish we eat.
Promoting debris-free waterways in our clubs and marina communities is a worthy effort by every boater. From starting up or participating in special events, to urging boating friends to never toss plastics of any kind into the water, we can all play a part.
One example, when it comes to events, is the annual Waterway Cleanup by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. Held annually since 1970, the cleanup successfully involves more than 2,000 volunteers on land and in over 100 boats removing more than 40 tons of trash from area waterways. So, teaming up with your local marine association or other local groups in a cleanup effort can really work.
But there are other ways to be a champion of clean water. Like, urge friends to give up water in throw-away plastic bottles and never throw one overboard. Demand there is recycle receptacles where you dock. Last year, Americans used about 50 billion plastic water bottles, averaging 167 per person. People say they’re all for recycling but they only recycled 38 per person, says the environmental group Ban the Bottle.
Supporting the “don’t use plastic bags” idea is another winner. Grocers adopted plastic bags in the 1970s to reduce costs, according to The Atlantic (1,000 plastic bags cost $24 compared with $30 for the same paper bags). Several cities and the state of California have banned single-use plastic bags while others are phasing them out or imposing fees (Chicago – 7 cents per bag) to discourage use. Boaters should favor reusable bags.
How about plastic knives, forks, and plates? We all use them. We discard about 6 million tons of them each year! No question much of that plastic ends up in waterways, according to One Green Planet. Support the call to avoid plasticware and encourage bringing durable utensils aboard.
The bottom line: today’s widespread pollution from plastics injects toxins into our waterway that move up in the marine food chain. Keeping our waterways free of pollutants, like plastics, should be the spirit of every boater this summer.
This article first appeared in the Launch Issue (May/Jun) 2018 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Environmental Impact
