Rise Above Plastic Program From Awareness to Action By Ethan A. Crouch Cape Fear Chapter Chair

What is Rise Above Plastics? An active strategic program with the mission to reduce the impacts of plastics in the marine environment by raising awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution and by advocating for a reduction of single-use plastics and the recycling of all plastics. Awareness/education Advocacy/action

Why RISE ABOVE PLASTICS? ACCUMULATION Some parts of the ocean are like a plastic soup, where there are six pounds of plastic for every pound of plankton % of marine debris is composed of plastics Approx % of marine debris is composed of plastics Approx. 80% of marine debris is from land-based sources

Why RISE ABOVE PLASTICS? MARINE LIFE MORTALITY - Over 100,000 marine mammals die each year from ingestion or entanglement in plastics and over 1 million sea birds % of marine debris is composed of plastics - 80% of marine debris is from land-based sources

Why RISE ABOVE PLASTICS? GENERATION -The Guinness Book of World Records named the plastic bag as the most ubiquitous consumer product of 2009, produced on the worldwide scale by the trillions. Approx. 1 million bags are used every minute. - Each year, over 24 billion lbs of single use plastic packing is produced. Graph by California Integrated Waste Management Board's "Plastic White Paper” *There will be more plastic made in the first decade of this century than was produced in the entire preceding century.

Co$t of Plastics

In the United States alone, an estimated 12 million barrels of oil is used annually to make plastic bags that Americans consume, which works out to over 100 billion (bags) per year. Manufacturing of plastic bags uses 4 percent of the world’s TOTAL oil production. Impact of manufacturing 9 plastic bags is greater than that of driving a car 6/10 of a mile. This means that the annual consumption of plastic bags in US (100 billion) is the equivalent of driving a car 6.67 billion miles …or more than 35 round trips from the Earth to the Sun.

Each ton of recycled bags saves the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil.

EPA estimates only 12% of plastic bags are being recycled. In 2011 alone we placed 200 million plastic bags into landfills.

It costs $4,000 to process and recycle 1 ton of plastic bags, which can then be sold on the commodities market for $32

Impacts of Plastics on Marine Systems

Once plastic has photodegraded to minute pieces in our oceans (often called a plastic soup), these small pieces of plastic are often mistaken by fish, birds or marine mammals and reptiles as food. Plastic particles provide no nutrients. As animals continue to feed on plastic, they take in more and more plastic material until they slowly starve to death.

plastic does not biodegrade, it just breaks into smaller pieces - this jar of tiny pieces of plastic was collected from one beach, in one visit - rise above plastics (please share this image)

According to research done by Captain Charles Moore on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, it has been found that there are six pounds of plastic for every pound of plankton in the area.

turtles ingest marine debris debris, such as plastic bags, look similar to, and are mistaken for jellyfish. Studies on dead turtles reported ingestion of marine debris in 79.6% of the turtles from the Western Mediterranean (Tomas et al. 2002), 60.5% of turtles in Southern Brazil (Bugoni et al. 2001) and 56% of turtles in Florida (Bjordal et al. 1994). 267 different species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of marine debris including seabirds, turtles, seals, sea lions, whales and fish. Plastic is found floating in all the world’s oceans, everywhere from polar region to the equator. Greenpeace. Plastic Debris in the World’s Oceans.

Impacts of Plastics on Human Health

A good bit of plastic created contains a chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA) which is an organic compound used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins amongst other things. A 2010 report from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised further concerns regarding exposure of fetuses, infants and young children. In September 2010, Canada became the first country to declare BPA as a toxic substance. In the European Union and Canada, BPA use is banned in baby bottles.Food and Drug Administration

Documented studies link BPA ingestion and exposure to animals and humans with issues of Obesity, Neurological issues, Thyroid Function, Breast Cancer, Neuroblastoma, Prostate development cancer, DNA methylation, and issues with the reproductive system and sexual behavior. As animals continue to ingest this plastic and the chemical BPA and are then eaten, through a process called bio-concentration, the chemical makeup becomes more concentrated.

In general, studies have shown that BPA can affect growth, reproduction and development in aquatic organisms. Among freshwater organisms, fish appear to be the most sensitive species.

BPA can contaminate the environment either directly or through degradation of products containing BPA, such as ocean-borne plastic trash.

In essence, as we continue to rely on plastic bags and single use plastics, we are poisoning our food stream from the very base level up and exposing ourselves to serious health risks and possible infertility as the species is exposed to the chemical.

Of more than ten million pieces of garbage picked up on ocean beaches in 2009 during International Coastal Cleanup Day, 1,126,774 were plastic bags. Plastic bag debris was second only to cigarette butts/filters (21%) in number and accounted for full 11% of ALL marine debris picked up. International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by Ocean Conservancy Report. September 2010

Plastic Pollution Devalues Our Economy and Threatens Jobs

Plastic litters our beaches, exacts a toll on our environment, and costs cities money to clean up. In fact, plastic pollution alone is costing developing and industrialized nations up to $1.3 billion annually as it threatens the fishing, shipping and tourism industries.

The total cost of litter collection, disposal and enforcement in the U.S. is estimated to be at least $11.5 billion annually. Businesses bear the burden of this cost, spending $9.1 billion annually and representing 79.5% of the total cost of litter abatement. Over 123,000 tons of plastic grocery and merchandise bags comprise the California waste stream. [1] This is equivalent to 16 billion plastic bags. [2] Cities have estimated that the taxpayer cost to subsidize the recycling, collection, and disposal of plastic and paper bags amounts to as much as 17 cents per bag. [i] Each year, San Francisco estimates it spends $8.5 million in plastic bag clean up [1]. [1] [2] [i] [1] States, cities, and counties together spend $1.3 billion on general litter abatement. [iv] These are taxpayer dollars out of your pocket to subsidize the cost of waste. Much of this money could otherwise be redirected to pay for much needed public services such as parks, libraries, and public safety. [iv]

Retailers spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually to provide single-use bags to customers. For example, supermarkets can spend up to $1,500 to $6,000 a month just to provide single-use bags to their customers at the check-out.[v] Even major retailers such as Target and CVS are realizing this significant cost burden and are offering discount incentives to customers who bring their own bags.[vi] Stores typically pay 2 to 5 cents per plastic bag ; these costs are embedded in food prices which are then passed onto consumers. [vii] [vii] Paper bags are not a good alternative to plastic single-use bags because like disposable plastic bags they come with their own costs to the environment. Although some paper bags contain no old-growth fiber, contain some post-consumer recycled content and are recyclable, the production of most paper bags contributes to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and additional waterborne wastes.[viii] Stores typically pay more for paper bags than plastic, anywhere from 5 to 23 cents per bag; these costs are then embedded in the food prices which are eventually passed on to consumers. [ix] [ix]

Rise Above Plastics: Solutions Use Grassroots Activism for Education and Awareness Presentations in the Community Presentations at schools Media and Websites Advocating Legislative Changes Local Ordinances Polystyrene Bags Bottles Statewide or Fed Legislation Bag Fees/Ban & Bottle Recycling

-In the US Currently 133 cities and counties in the US have a bag regulation ordinance in place. -Around the world 29 countries have plastic bag legislation. -In NC the outer banks has had a successful plastic bag ordinance in place for 5 years.

Rise Above Plastics Success: LA County ban on single-use bags and 10 cent fee on paper bags Enacted November 17, 2010 after a full Environmental Impact Report Employed economic data for litter clean-up costs Several other cities following suit: Calabasas, Long Beach, LA City

Rise Above Plastics Success: DC Anacostia River Clean Up Act passed 6/09 effective 1/10 for a 5 cent fee on all single use bags Affected establishments issued about 3.3 million bags in January 2010, which was a significant 86 percent decrease from the estimated 22.5 million bags issued per month in The Alice Ferguson Foundation reports that since implementation of the bag fee there has been a reduction in plastic bag litter by 66% in river cleanups -Safeway grocery stores donated 10,000 bags to low-income families when the bill went into effect -Coalition of 30 environmental groups, with dozens of grocery stores and businesses on board

In only three weeks of the five-cent fee, demand for bags at grocery stores dropped percent!

The Alice Ferguson Foundation reports that since implementation of the bag fee there has been a reduction in plastic bag litter by 66% in river cleanups.

What should we do in Carolina Beach, New Hanover County, and the State of North Carolina?

Implement policy & legislation to reduce demand of single use plastic grocery bags. – Point of sale is most efficient & enforceable policy – Various types of ordinances with demonstrated success: Ban on Plastic – Fee on Paper (OBX) Fee on Plastic (Washington, DC) Gradual roll out Sq.ft limitations on stores – Ongoing Public Education & Awareness

What are we asking city council to do tonight? 1)Support our precious marine environment! 2)Create an AD HOC committee to develop a plastic bag reduction ordinance and enact this ordinance to reduce single use plastic bags in Carolina Beach. 3) Support our efforts with New Hanover County Commissioners to pass legislation on plastic and paper bags similar to programs created in Washington DC, Portland OR, Seattle WA, San Francisco CA, Los Angeles CA.