July 6th-- Burned Out on Fireworks!

It is our Nation's Birthday.  It is a big deal.  I get it!!!  Happy Birthday USA!

The US girls won the World Cup Soccer Tournament.  I get it!!!!  It's a big deal.  Congratulations USA Girls Soccer!

But…..do we have to light so many explosive fireworks on the beach?  I get it.  The fireworks over the water is beautiful, celebratory, magical, it makes you say, oooohhhhhhh,  aaaaaaahhhhhh!  But….could you please clean up the mess?

Large Fireworks Canister on the beach.

It is against NC state law and Wrightsville Beach ordinance to set off personal fireworks.  I hate to be that person who is a "kill joy"...  I really do!  But….. clean it up.  Come on.

In case you haven't heard, our ocean is choking on plastic and debris---OUR plastic and debris.  The inhabitants of the ocean is choking on OUR plastic and debris.  The Ocean and the Earth give us so much.  Food, water, air, beauty, trees, flowers, animals, and recreation.  Can't we return the favor and do our part to Keep It Clean?

 John and I picked up 162 pieces of fireworks debris on our little section of beach (about 3/4 mile) today.  And guess what?  We didn't get it all.  There was more, but we only had so much time.  And guess what else?  It was a very low tide, which meant the high tide already washed most of the debris out to sea.

162 Pieces of Fireworks Debris

Even Gigi couldn't look at the trash this morning.  She turned her back to it.  :-)

Total of Items in our Litter Bags:
24 cigarette butts
31 food wrappers
13 plastic bottle caps
2 metal bottle caps
7 plastic lids
22 straws/stirrers
3 plastic cutlery
2 plastic water bottles
3 glass beer bottles
1 beer can

1 plastic grocery bag
4 other plastic bags
1 paper coffee cup
1 plastic cup
2 foam cups
1 foam plate
28 plastic packaging (mostly from fireworks)
1 strapping band
1 cigar wrapper
1 can of chewing tobacco
1 dirty diaper (So gross!)
1 hat
1 single flip flop
1 very smelly bandeau top
9 toys
12 pieces of paper
6 wet ones
1 plastic dental flosser
1 surf leash band
1 tube of chapstick
6 plastic zip ties
1 block of surf wax
3 metal tent stakes (2 matched the one I found last week)
2 artificial pink flower petals (this is the third week we have found these)
1 Altoids tin with a suspicious smelling hand rolled cigarette.

In spite of the trash, our beach is soooo beautiful.  Look at the changing colors in just 1.5 hours this morning!

The most patriotic thing you can do is to take care of the environment and try to live sustainably ~ John F. Kennedy, Jr.

Peace and Clean Oceans,
Ginger