PLANET PROTECT IN ACTION

 

Make a Difference

One of our primary missions is to fight Plastic Pollution in our oceans. We have seen the damage up close, and we have been studying the problem for more than three years now. Fighting this form of pollution is going to take comprehensive and extensive planning and leadership from many organizations willing to work on multiple levels - simultaneously.

Plastic Pollution is fast becoming a major issue, and the news media has been paying more attention as of late.  Planet Protect Sportswear is working Algalita Marine Research Foundation (our fundraising beneficiary).  They are on the forefront of researching and educating the public about this problem. 

Two years ago we spent our time and money so that we could research this problem ourselves, lobby congressional representatives, visit our representatives in person and get some answers. We were able to go to and Visit Washington DC the end of April, 2008 to meet with Oregon Congressional Representatives, the Environmental Protection Agency.  We will return again in 2010 with new plans and solutions and hopefully a better administration.

The trip provided some important clues to fighting Plastic Pollution, plus the opportunity to raise our concerns as a company representing our customers and hopefully plant the seeds of change. This is one pollution problem that can be solved.

From Municipal to Federal and County to Capitol

 

Consider the sources of Plastics Pollution:

• Beach Visitors and Tourists : purposeful and accidental loss of plastic
• Clean Ups : once and twice a year programs (for the public), remove a week's worth of trash - the rest heads off to sea.
• Ocean Communities : Run off, sewer overflow, waste water, storm drains, rivers and streams. Inadequate local resident trash management systems.
• Adjoining Communities : Blow-away plastic films and bags, waste management inconsistencies, non-existent recycling programs, inconsistent roadway and waterway clean-up activities.
• Roadways and Freeways : Plastic loss via vehicles (reaching local waterways), inconsistent clean up activities (sponsored roadways).
• Major Cities : Massive storm water systems without engineering to remove plastic and floating debris, inconsistent recycling and waste management practices, lack of fines and regulations for criminal dumping, lack of public awareness and education.
• Waste Management : Varies from county to county and state to state. No uniform mandates from the Federal level. No consistent recycling programs for states to model and implement. No incentives to improve and increase recycling efforts. No incentives for entrepreneurs and new business to utilize recycled materials.
• The Plastics Industry : Self regulated with very little oversight. Massive loss of nurdles (raw plastic) into waterways and storm systems. Virgin plastic industry does not use recycled plastic. In fact there is no such thing as plastic recycling - only down-cycling to a lesser use. Most plastic is not re-used and ends up in waste management systems and landfills never to be used again.  At last count - 38 billion water bottles go to land fills.
• Transports : Shipping, trains and trucking lose virgin plastic material, produced goods and cargo into the ocean, waterways and watersheds. About 20% of all plastic pollution comes from poorly monitored shipping of plastic goods and raw materials. 
• Fishing Industry : Line, nets and floatation devices are a serious problem. Our fishing industry needs incentives to bring damaged line and nets back to port for credit. They should not be penalized for being responsible, additionally, they should be credited (incentives) for harvesting stray line and netting found at sea (additional source of income for struggling fleets).
• The Consumer : Carelessness with plastic accounts for a majority of all plastic pollution. A comprehensive education campaign needs to be implemented. The public (at large) has no idea the massive accumulations of plastic that float in our seas. The consumer can also begin to use less convenience plastics (grocery bags, disposable table wear, cups and water bottles).
• Alternatives Needed : We do not need petroleum based plastic for all food and convenience uses (fast food). The plastics industry could become a leader in offering bio-plastic alternatives (made from grass and vegetable waste). These bio-polymers are not toxic, biodegrade in landfills, or breakdown in sea water. The Federal Government should provide tax incentives for alternatives and provide funding for research where needed. More than 10% of allimported oil goes into production of plastic. 

As you can see, a comprehensive approach is needed to tackle this enormous problem - but it is solvable. It takes one step at a time and an organization needs to focus on each level with measured results. Note, this is just our country - a campaign needs to be addressed for us and the Asian Countries if this form of toxic pollution is to be stopped.

 

http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris/plasticpellets/plasticpellets.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris/plastic_art.html
http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/regulatory/vessel_sewage/foghorn.html
http://www.epa.gov/volunteer/stream/stream.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/rcc/2005news/01-corn.htm
http://www.epa.gov/ocir/hearings/testimony/105_1997_1998/070997.htm
http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris/factsheet_marinedebris.html
http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris/moreinfo.html
http://www.epa.gov/region02/p2/plastics.htm
http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Dioxin-EPA-Fact-Sheetsep99.htm