*this post is an edited version of our event press release by Fiona Hines (CALPIRG)
In anticipation of votes from state and federal legislators on bills to curb plastic pollution, Surfrider Foundation San Diego County partnered with CALPIRG to hold a rally at our monthly beach cleanup at Moonlight State Beach on Saturday, August 17. Lawmakers, environmental groups and more than 100 community members came together to clean up the coastline and call for strong efforts to tackle plastic waste.
“Single-use plastics accounted for 83% of what volunteers picked up at 268 Surfrider San Diego County beach cleanups in 2023,” said Mitch Silverstein, Surfrider’s San Diego Policy Manager. “Our cleanups raise awareness, but we can’t clean our way out of this problem. The only solution is to stop producing so many unnecessary single-use plastics, and it’s up to each of one of us to demand that our leaders act decisively towards that goal.”
This month, the California legislature will vote on SB 1053, by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (Encinitas) to finally ban plastic bags at grocery store checkout. Nationally, Congress is considering the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, by Congressman Levin (Oceanside), which would ban the discharge of plastic pellets into our nation’s waters. These laws will take important steps to reduce harmful plastic pollution.
Sign our Action Alert to urge your state representatives to support the SB 1053
“My district is home to a beautiful coastline that supports the local economy, bolsters tourism, protects wildlife, and is enjoyed by residents and countless visitors,” said United States Rep. Mike Levin. “Pollution caused by plastic pellets is a major threat to our waters and our overall health. We must do everything we can to protect our oceans and ensure their survival for future generations to enjoy.”
Congressman Levin holds us a bottle of plastic pellets while speaking about his bill (Photo: Thais Giraudet)
Plastic pellets, also known as nurdles, are the second largest source of marine microplastic. Ten trillion pellets are estimated to enter the ocean each year, and each one can take up to 1,000 years to break down. CALPIRG and Environment California recently released a map revealing that California is home to 22 facilities producing plastic pellets.
Sign our Action Alert to urge your federal representative to support the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act
In addition to calling for an end to plastic pellet pollution, community members and environmental groups at the event also rallied for the passage of a true plastic bag ban.
“SB 1053 is aimed at fixing California’s ban on single-use plastic bags at grocery store checkouts, which was passed in 2014 and supported by the state’s voters in 2016,” said state Sen. Catherine Blakespear. “We now know the thicker plastic bags aren’t being reused by consumers and they aren’t broadly recyclable in California. SB 1053 makes it clear that stores will no longer be able to provide any plastic bags at checkout, honoring the intent of the original legislation and the will of California voters.”
Senator Blakespear & Bag Monster double down on the need to ban plastic checkout bags (Photo: Thais Giraudet, Bag Monster: Jessica Ullyot)
A CALPIRG report finds that only 2% percent of observed customers brought the supposedly “reusable” plastic bags back into grocery stores with them to reuse. The data indicates that most customers only use plastic bags to transport their groceries home once, and the bags then become waste after the original use, rendering their purported “reusability” meaningless.
“Plastic bags pollute communities with litter, degrade the environment and harm marine life,” said CALPIRG legislative advocate Fiona Hines. “Plastic bags, and the pellets they’re made up of, have been allowed to permeate our communities for too long, and our new report shows just how ineffective our previous efforts have been. Regardless of how the original bag ban classified them, Californians are not reusing thicker plastic bags, so it’s time for them to go once and for all.”
Huge gratitude to our beach cleanup volunteers who show up day in, day out to clean our coasts (Photo: Thais Giraudet)
Encinitas Mayor Tony Kranz and CALPIRG student chair Toby Ngo also addressed the crowd on the need for action. Surfrider would like to thank Congressman Levin, Senator Blakespear, and Mayor Kranz for speaking, as well as Assemblymember Laurie Davies and Encinitas Councilmember Joy Lyndes for joining us at the rally.
“My generation didn’t create the plastic waste crisis, but we are going to have to deal with it one way or the other, “ said Toby Ngo, chair of UCSD CALPIRG Students. “Students across the state agree on the urgent need to fight plastic pollution. Nothing we use for a few minutes should threaten our health and pollute our future for hundreds of years.”