Every single day, plastic pollution makes the news. Sometimes the topic is a new place on the planet where microplastics have been discovered for the first time. Sometimes, we learn about where in the human body microplastics have been found. At this rate, we’re running out of locations and organs free of microplastics – in fact, it’s likely we already have.
Making the rounds this week, a new report in the science journal Nature informs us that humans collectively create 57 million tons of plastic pollution every year. An article in Smithsonian magazine explains, “If you organized the plastic pollution that entered the environment in 2020 in a line, it could circle the Earth more than 1,500 times.” Another oft-used visualization is that 57 million tons is enough pollution to fill New York City’s Central Park with plastic waste as high as the Empire State Building.
The good news
While such news stories and numbers can make ending plastic pollution sound impossible, we know that a path to such a goal exists – Surfrider’s been making a difference on our beaches and in front of decisionmakers for 40 years. And it’s not all bad news out there! Last month, the Biden-Harris administration released a new strategy to tackle plastic pollution, including taking action to reduce single-use plastics in federal operations, a step we’ve been pushing for at the General Services Administration, the Department of the Interior, and other federal agencies. Likewise, U.S. delegates participating in Global Plastics Treaty negotiations recently indicated, after two years of pressure, a positive shift in direction. Several Surfrider staff, are preparing to join hundreds of activists from around the globe at INC-5 in Busan this fall to make sure the U.S. follows through.
Take action!
Finally, as members of the House and Senate return to the nation’s capital after the traditional August recess, Surfrider’s effort to end plastic pollution through effective legislation maintains momentum. The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act would prohibit discharges of plastic pellets (aka “nurdles”) and other pre-production plastic into waters of the United States. The bill currently has support from 80 members of Congress, 79 Democrats and one Republican, giving it a bipartisan foundation that we’re working hard to build upon. If you haven’t contacted your Congressional representatives, please take action here!
Above, Surfrider Canada Regional Manager Lilly Woodbury and Surfrider Club Network Coordinator Carolyn Curtain at INC-4