"KIC" the disposable plastic habit!

August 18, 2014

Today I walked the beach by myself.  It was a very muggy and hazy morning with the noseeums in full force!  I saw Padrina, another volunteer, at the end of our walk, where zones 3 & 4 meet, and she said the same.  No matter---the sunrise is always beautiful.

The ocean was so calm that it looked like a lake.

It felt like there was a lot of trash today, but when I got home and sorted it, it was about the same amount as usual; thus, I concluded that it only felt like more because I cleaned the zone alone.  :-)  As I've quoted my friend Bonnie before,  "Many hands make light work".

Sometimes, late night visitors will make use of the Blockade Runner beach chairs.  Beside this chair I found a pair of lacy panties and tie up shoes along with a condom wrapper.  Hmmm…… the beach can be a very romantic spot.

I am just thankful that a sea turtle did not come up to nest as we are all too familiar with the photos of turtles getting trapped in beach furniture that is left on the beach.

Here are my totals for today:
7 cigarette butts
21 food wrappers
7 plastic bottle caps
5 various plastic lids
8 straws/stirrers
1 plastic spoon
1 cigarette lighter
3 pieces of construction material including painters tape, which I have found for the past few weeks.
6 foam pieces
12 various plastic pieces
5 plastic beverage bottles
3 aluminum cans
6 plastic bags (non-grocery)
1 paper bag
4 paper cups
3 plastic cups
1 foam cup
1 potentially deadly 6 pack holder

3 strapping bands (probably from broken beach chairs)
1 tobacco packaging
packaging from 3 condoms, but no condom
6 articles of clothing (panties, shirt, 4 socks)
7 shoes
1 plastic bag for a camping chair
2 chairs
2 ace bandage wraps
3 bandaids
1 pink ribbon
2 plastic zip ties
18 toys

1 baby head band
2 dryer sheets
3 baby wipes
1 dive/snorkel mask
1 plastic netting bag that holds beach toys
1 aluminum rod (from something that broke)
1 broken beach umbrella (b/c if it is broken, you may as well leave it on the beach as you don't want it anymore anyway, right? )

All total, I picked up at least 263 items today.
At the very very very minimal, 53 of those items could have been avoided all together by saying "no thank you" to single use disposable plastic (21 food wrappers, 7 plastic bottle caps, 5 plastic beverage bottles, 6 sandwich type bags, 3 plastic cups, 1 foam cup, 8 straws/stirrers, 1 plastic spoon, 1 six pack holder).

Let's "KIC" the disposable plastic habit!

Peace & Clean Oceans,
Ginger