Coastal Blog — Rise Above Plastics
December 19 2011
What does a 3% increase in violent crimes have to do with a plastic bag ban?
Nothing, it's just a scare tactic. In advance of the Seattle City Council vote on a plastic bag ban for the city that passed 9-0(!), a major plastic bag manufacturer started running an opposition ad in Seattle newspapers that could be described as scare tactics. Why else would they include…
December 16 2011
Waste To Waves / Foam to Surfboard Recycling!
Waste to Waves™ is an exciting new recycling program developed by nonprofit organization Sustainable Surf, that’s designed to turn waste materials into new, eco-friendlier surfing products. Partners for the initial launch campaign include Reef, SPY Optic, Marko Foam, Surfrider Foundation and Waste Management. Waste to Waves lets you “Turn Your…
December 15 2011
How To Trim The Plastic When Grocery Shopping
Day Without A Bag is today and the focus is to avoid carryout bags in favor of remembering your reusable bags. It’s the easiest way to Rise Above Plastics at the grocery store, but just the tip of the plastic iceberg. Here are some other tips to help trim the…
December 13 2011
Stocking Stuffer Alert - Reusable Glass Straws!
Our friends at Simply Straws recently sent along a special batch of reusable glass straws etched with the Surfrider logo! Conventional plastic straws can be a dangerous single-use plastic item because it's really hard to recycle them and it seems they are often littered. Once littered they often start the…
December 12 2011
Celebrate Day Without A Bag THIS THURSDAY!
A Day Without a Bag is an educational grassroots event started by Heal the Bay in Los Angeles and hosted by Surfrider Foundation Chapters along with local community groups throughout the country. Held the third Thursday in December, we ask holiday shoppers and retailers to forgo single-use, plastic shopping bags…
December 08 2011
Hawaii Print PSA’s
HUGE Mahalos to Kevin Whitton (Ed./Publisher) and Kyle Tanaka (Art Dir.) for sponsoring Surfrider HI's Rise Above Plastic ads in Green Magazine! Thanks to the Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter 'RAP' Comm., Sheila, Rob, Leilei, Robert, Lora L., Pasha P., Tia-Brooke F., Stuart C. and all those who helped design and…
December 07 2011
Rise Above Foam
What lightweight single-use plastic is typically used for under ten minutes and can easily break into many pieces if littered? If you guessed expanded polystyrene foam, you are correct! These small pieces of foam run the risk of harming wildlife that mistake it for food. Even if someone has the…
December 01 2011
15 Ways in 15 Days
15 Ways to Reduce Plastic Use in 15 Days for the Holiday Season is an idea from the the Surfrider Foundation San Francisco Chapter. Check them all out here and follow them daily on the Rise Above Plastics Facebook page.
November 30 2011
BWTF Students Paddle Out for a Bag Free LA
Blue Water Task Force Youth Rise Above Plastics Bag Bans
The Heal the Bay Surfrider Club at Santa Monica High School organized a paddle out to bring attention to the bacteria and plastic pollution that heavy rains in October brought to their beaches. Read their press release.
November 27 2011
‘Bag It’ Online Screening This Sunday!
Have you seen the critically acclaimed documentary 'Bag It' yet? If not, this Sunday is your chance to catch it from the luxury of your own home. This Sunday December 4th at 8pm EST/ 5pm PST, the Surfrider Foundation is hosting an online screening for the low, low price of…
November 14 2011
Don’t cave in to corporate pressure!
Over the past few weeks it appears that big corporations are flexing their wallets to help stamp out some plastic reduction initiatives. It started when a lightly viewed 'Refuse Plastic' PSA featuring last season's American Idol finalists was targeted. Next, a major plastics manufacturer poured money into small town plastic…
November 11 2011
You Tube Friday
Everyone loves YouTube, right? So many videos on just about every imaginable topic in one convenient place. It's the second most popular search engine in the world and it's easy to see why when you type in something like 'plastic pollution' and get thousands of video results. Here are a…
October 28 2011
Attorney General Files Complaint for Deceptive Water Bottle Labeling
The California Attorney General decided to take action against misleading water bottle labels falsely claiming recyclability and biodegradability. Attorney General Kamala Harris signed off on a Complaint for Injunction, Civil Penalties and Other Relief on behalf of the People of the State of California. The Complaint points out that the…
October 19 2011
California SB 568: Stayin’ Alive
Remember the polystyrene ban for restaurants in California that we were talking about this summer? It was shelved at the end of the legislative session in September but will be brought back to the State Assembly in early 2012. SB 568 would provide a state-wide ban on polystyrene take out…
October 18 2011
Portland Bag Ban Takes Effect - Bring Your Bag!
This past weekend the much publicized plastic carryout bag ban took effect in Portland, Oregon. After the state legislature failed to act on a statewide bag bill, San Adams and the Portland City Council acted quickly to establish a local ordinance they have been working on for years. The Surfrider…
October 17 2011
Are You a Member?
Are you a Surfrider Foundation member? Do you know all of the benefits to being a Surfrider member? The Surfrider Foundation is a premiere grassroots environmental organization that has local chapters along every coastline in the United States. Our mission is the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves and beaches…
October 13 2011
Santa Monica HS Students Report First Flush of Bacteria and Plastics
Blue Water Task Force Youth Rise Above Plastics
The students at Santa Monica High School who run the West LA/Malibu Chapter's Blue Water Task Force program sent out this press release to alert their community about the bacteria and plastic garbage load that flowed out to their beaches after the first heavy rains this fall. Pretty gruesome photos......
October 05 2011
Have you watched One Beach yet?
Barefoot Wine recently released One Beach, a film that tells the personal stories of people who are using creativity and innovation to help keep the world’s beaches “barefoot friendly” and focuses on plastic pollution issues. Directed by renowned surf filmmaker Jason Baffa and produced by Farm League, the film profiles…
October 03 2011
Raptoberfest is here!!
For the entire month of October the Surfrider Foundation and our friends at Rusty will be celebrating RAPTOBERFEST. We’ll be sharing plastic related facts, as well as tips on how to reduce your individual plastic footprint. Share your own tip on how to reduce your plastic footprint on Surfrider’s Facebook…
September 27 2011
Simon Cowell is a Plastic Litterbug
I am going to confess to a guilty pleasure here and admit that I like to watch some of the talent competition television shows. Last week I tuned into the season premiere of The X Factor and was impressed by the talent but bummed to learn that Simon is a…
