Originally published in Seven Mile Times' Spring 2019 issue
Our Ocean-Friendly Island
BOROUGHS TAKE A GREAT FIRST STEP IN REDUCING PLASTIC POLLUTION
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s most of the regulars to this column know, I tend to ponder the world around us. I mostly look for the good and work to identify how we can collectively make things better. I am so happy to say that our island community has taken a remarkable and bold step to do a lot better and I am proud that we did. I am talking about the new ordinances addressing single-use plastics that go into effect in both Avalon and Stone Harbor later this spring. The boroughs worked together on the mirror ordinances to effect change island-wide and collectively help reduce pollution entering our waters and protecting marine life. Seven Mile Beach has effectively passed two of the most comprehensive single-use plastic ordinances in the state and has taken on a leadership role in this regard. With our help, we can enhance the effectiveness of these measures, and effect change here – and elsewhere, too. The ordinances are focused around the concept that our disposable society is creating huge problems for the planet, and locally for our municipal waste-management systems and our coastal ecosystems. The ordinances effectively ban the distribution of single-use plastic bags by merchants, vendors, and the boroughs themselves. It bans Styrofoam products from being sold or distributed and limits the type of takeout containers and other packaging dispensed for takeout food products to compostable or recyclable materials. Finally, it requires that straws be paper or self-provided.
By Dr. Lenore Tedesco, Executive Director of The Wetlands Institute Thankfully, many merchants here are aware of the issues and many had already begun to make changes. Both boroughs had meetings with merchants and the Chambers of Commerce while they were crafting the ordinances and delayed the start date to allow merchants to adjust their product lines and packaging purchases. Many food establishments have already stopped using Styrofoam takeout containers. Others had already
moved away from plastic boxes and are instead using recycled and recyclable cardboard containers. Some had already switched to paper straws or provide straws only upon request. The ordinances will help the island community contribute less to the problem of plastics pollution, and it’s a great step. That said, it’s a small step in a huge problem. Plastic pollution has rapidly become a global problem. Esti-
mates are that after we’ve incinerated, recycled or buried them, a staggering 5.5 billion tons of plastics remain. The remains take centuries or longer to break down – and breaking down often means breaking into smaller pieces and not truly going away. Those same estimates indicate that half the plastic ever made was produced in the past 15 years. Each year, 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die from ingesting plastic. It happens right here – ospreys decorating their nests with plastic grocery bags that entangle chicks, or seals on our beaches entangled in plastics. A 2016 study by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicted the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050 if no actions are taken to reduce the flow of plastics into waterways. The press has been publicizing this more recently, so that awareness has grown dramatically. The facts are staggering and numbing, the boroughs have acted, and now we have an opportunity to really do something about it. The ordinances are a great effort that can be effective at reducing the amount of plastics we all use. However, it’s really only the tip of the iceberg. Every one of us has a role, and it will take every one of us changing our behavior to really make a difference The root of the problem is our disposable ways. The most important step is to REDUCE our use and need for single-use disposable plastics. Many steps are really easy. Start with a reusable bag for all your shopping and bring your own. Canvas or cotton are by far the best way to go. Some continued on page 70