Plastic Pollution Mitigation

MBNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council

August 17, 2018
 About Us
For 40 years, Save Our Shores has been protecting
California’s Central Coast – from offshore oil drilling
to sand mining; Sanctuary status to plastic pollution
2017 Refreshed Mission Statement
To steward clean shores, healthy habitats and living waters to foster a truly thriving
Monterey Bay and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
1950’s
Today
Why We’ve Gone from Love to Hate
 California Statistics
Los Angeles River
An estimated 3 million tons of trash can
be found off the California coast after a
storm or holiday…
Seabright State Beach,
Santa Cruz
San Diego Harbor
 SOS Litter Stats

2017 By the Numbers

1. Cigarette Butts 21,166
2. Plastic pieces 18,621
3. Plastic wrappers 11,366 Microplastics = 38,753
4. Polystyrene pieces 8,776
5. Paper pieces 7,017
6. Glass pieces 4,060
7. Plastic bottle caps/rings 3,526
8. Metal bottle caps 2,393
9. Glass bottles 2,136
10. Plastic bottles 1,956
 Polystyrene Packaging Bans

• Facilitated passage of polystyrene packaging bans

• Capitola – Carmel - Del Ray Oaks – Marina - Monterey County
Monterey City - Pacific Grove - Salinas - Santa Cruz County Santa
Cruz City - Scotts Valley - Seaside – Watsonville
• Currently supporting statewide polystyrene legislation
SB1335
 Polystyrene Trash Trends

Polystyrene Food Containers

Average Amount Collected Per Cleanup
14
12.66 Currently all but one city in
12
Santa Cruz and Pacific

10

7.96 7.74
8 7.35

6 5.41 5.16

5 More Local 3.63

4
1.82
2

0
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Copyright Save Our

Shores 2016
 Single Use Plastic Bag Bans

• Facilitated passage of single use plastic bag bans:

• Capitola – Carmel – Gonzalez – Greenfield – King City - Marina
Monterey County – Monterey City – Pacific Gove - Salinas
Santa Cruz County – Santa Cruz City – Seaside - Watsonville
• Led central coast effort to defeat plastic bag industry’s efforts to
overturn statewide ban (2016)
 Plastic Bag Trash Trends
Plastic Bags
(Grocery and shopping)
Average collected per cleanup
70 65.22

60
Santa Cruz
50
42.78
37.48
39.49 State of
40 California
30.71
30

20
11.48
9.28 8.57
10 4.48

0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Copyright Save Our

Shores 2016
 Expanded Packaging Ordinances

• Santa Cruz County expands polystyrene ordinance to

include all non-recyclable/non-compostable plastic
food service ware (2017)
• Straws, cup lids, stirrers, cutlery

• County hires Save Our Shores to conduct county-

wide outreach to help “to-go” food businesses comply

• Save Our Shores facilitates passage of similar ordinances in

• Capitol, Carmel, Santa Cruz City, Scotts Valley (and continuing
efforts across Monterey County)
 Current Focus #1

Single use plastic toiletry bottles in hotels…

 Current Focus #2

Microfibers in our laundry…

 Current Focus #3

Single use coffee pods (K-cups)…

 Current Focus #4

Single use plastic bottles…

 Packaging

Today, packaging is the poster child

of the linear economy

TAKE ~ MAKE ~ WASTE

State of Recycling
Close the Loop – Circular Economy
 Extended Producer Responsibility

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach

under which producers are given a significant responsibility –
financial and/or physical – for the treatment or disposal of
post-consumer products. (OECD)
Assigning such responsibility in intended to:
• Provide incentives to prevent wastes at the source
• Promote product design for the environment
• Support the achievement of public recycling and materials management goals