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Acknowledgements

Beach plastic has been contributed by the following beach cleaners from around the world:

Judith Selby Lang—Kehoe Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, California
Richard Lang—Kehoe Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, California
Anna Kaufmann @anna.kauffman—Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Don Elwing—Ocean View, Hawaii
Heather Cremia, @1stcreamiatwin—Outer Bank, North Carolina
@roiolo—Stokes Bay, England
Cate Dine, @cleancoast_angel—Mairangi Bay, New Zealand
@drdross_the_jambo—Monyash (the village), A515 (the road), Derbyshire, UK

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Sharks have been around for 400,000,000 years and have survived several mass extinction events of the past, and now, we must ensure that they live beyond the Anthropocene (human-influenced era). . Sharks are facing many threats, including overfishing, poaching, shark finning, and accidental by-catch. They are also being impacted by plastic pollution and biomagnification, the process by which toxins become increasingly concentrated as they move up the food chain. Microplastics “attract and absorb persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as PCBs and DDT,” and those chemicals can be absorbed into the tissue of animals that consume them. Consequently, microplastics can end up being most toxic to predators at the top of the food chain, including sharks—and humans. . There are simple things everyone can do to help protect sharks, including avoiding products that include shark oil and/or cartilage, reducing overall consumption of fish, and refusing single-use plastic items and unnecessary plastic packaging. . #sharksighting #plasticshark #sharks #shark #sharkweek #shoresweep #litterati #take3forthesea #2minutebeachclean #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution #plasticchemicals #marinedebris #microplastics #biomagnification

@popeyeslouisianakitchen Please stop using expanded polystyrene foam (commonly referred to by the brand name Styrofoam). I found this cup while cleaning the beach, and it made me wonder why any company would still be using this material. . You must know that EPS is a petroleum-based product that pollutes the natural environment. It does not biodegrade. It breaks down into tiny toxic bits that are nearly impossible to clean up. It also contributes to the climate crisis because green house gasses are emitted at every stage. In addition, a report done by the EPA in 1986 listed “the polystyrene manufacturing process as the fifth largest creator of hazardous waste. Fifty-seven chemical byproducts are released during the manufacturing process of polystyrene, polluting the air, land, water and communities that live near the facilities.” . Polystyrene also harms human health when chemicals leach into our food. Styrene (a component of polystyrene) is classified as a probable human carcinogen, and it has been detected in “100% of human tissue and breast milk samples.” . I searched the Popeye’s website and couldn’t find one mention of any efforts to reduce your environmental impact while Kentucky Fried Chicken has a page that includes extensive information about their sustainability programs. KFC’s explicit and actionable goals are outlined in their 2017 Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report. You might want to take a look at their plan as you develop sustainability goals for Popeyes. If nothing else, I urge you to consider the negative impact you are having on our planet and on human health by continuing to use EPS for your beverage and food containers. You must already have alternatives in place for areas where EPS has been banned. But why wait for bans to take effect? Please stop using “Styrofoam” at all of your locations now. . #fightthefoam #banstyrofoam #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #shoresweep #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution #marinedebris #surfriderfoundation #bedisposablefree #refusesingleuse

Fight the foam! . Image 1) unmodified polystyrene (Styrofoam) collected during a beach cleanup . Image 2) Melting ice field in Southern Patagonia taken by NASA . Video 3) Polystyrene bits washed out through the watershed after a May rain in San Diego . Expanded Polystyrene (commonly referred to by the brand name Styrofoam) is a petroleum-based product that is contributing to the climate crisis. Green house gasses are emitted at every stage—from fracking to manufacturing and from transportation to disposal and degradation, polystyrene harms the environment. . In addition, styrene (a component of polystyrene), which can leach into our food, “is classified as a carcinogen to humans,” and in a study done by the EPA way back in 1986, “styrene was detected in 100% of human tissue and breast milk samples.” . For the environment and for our health, we are fighting for polystyrene bans and a reduction in single-use plastics throughout North County San Diego. . Watch “This is what billions of tons of melting Arctic ice looks like,” for more about the recent heat wave that has had an alarming impact on Greenland’s ice sheets. . #fightthefoam #climatecrisis #meltingicesheets #styrofoam #polystyrene #plasticpollutes #marinedebris #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #surfrider #shoresweep #bedisposablefree @surfridersandiego

Summer is bucket handle season! Cheap beach toys that break easily become plastic pollution when left behind in the sand. A better choice would be a sturdy metal bucket from the hardware store that would last for years. #summertrash #plasticbuckethandles #2minbcphotochallenge9 #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #shoresweep #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution #marinedebris

Plastic cutlery is often among the top ten items found during shoreline cleanups, and I have certainly collected my fair share while walking at the beach. . Plastic knives, forks, and spoons are not recyclable in most waste systems, because they are made from a variety of types of plastic resins, and the odd shapes make them difficult for recyclers to bale. Plastic cutlery can also jam sorting machines, and they are a common contaminant in recycling systems. . Compostable utensils are also problematic, because in most cases, they can only be composted in a commercial composting facility, and very few of those exist in the US. The best choice is reusable cutlery. . Green Oceanside has started a Be Disposable-Free campaign, and volunteers are needed to help raise awareness about the harmful effects of single-use items, including utensils. If you are local and are interested in supporting the effort in Oceanside, please send me a message. . #bedisposablefree #choosetoreuse #refusesingleuse #dinnertable #2minbcphotochallenge9 #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #shoresweep #litterati #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution #marinedebris #plasticutensils #plasticfreejuly2019

Apparently, even plastic coral can suffer from bleaching. Corals are vanishing from oceans around the world. Rising ocean temperatures are having extreme consequences, but corals are also impacted by ocean acidification, destructive fishing practices, chemicals in sunscreen, and polluted runoff that includes insecticides and nitrogen from fertilizers. . Plastic pollution is also causing harm. In a four-year study, Cornell University researchers surveyed 159 reefs and “found that 11 billion plastic items could be entangled in coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific region, home to over half the world's coral reefs.” . Plastics block the sunlight needed for photosynthesis and plastic entanglement can cause devastating injuries to corals. In addition, “the likelihood of disease increases from 4 percent to 89 percent when corals are in contact with plastic.” . There are simple things everyone can do to help protect corals, including refusing single-use plastics, minimizing fertilizer use, choosing natural insecticide alternatives, and buying reef-safe sunscreen products. Watch @chasingcoral, for more information about coral reefs and how to protect them. . #coralon #respectourreef #coralbleaching #plasticcoral #coral #coralreef #chasingcoral #natureconservancy #protectcoralreefs #goodforthesoul #2minutebeachclean #2minbcphotochallenge9 #litterati #take3forthesea #shoresweep #marinedebris #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution #glowinggone

This sucks but there are all natural alternatives such as @ecopiggy pacifiers which are made out of rubber. #pacifiers #thissucks #2minbcphotochallenge9 #2minutebeachclean #litterati #take3forthesea #shoresweep #marinedebris #plasticpollution #ecopiggy #ecopiggy

Jaws was one of several Burger King Kids Club characters distributed in 1991, and two and a half decades later he washed up on the beach. Over the years, I’ve found many other vintage Kids Club and Happy Meal toys that have ended up as marine debris, and this morning, I read about British sisters who are doing something about it. They have started a petition to get @burgerking and @mcdonalds to quit distributing plastic toys with their meals. Their goal is 500,000 signatures, and close to 400,000 people have already signed. If you would like to add your name, you can find their petition by searching “Stop giving plastic toys with fast food kids meals.” #burgerking #stopgivingoutplastictoys #burgerkingkidsclub #jaws #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #litterati #shoresweep #marinedebris #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution #nameandshame #2minbcphotochallenge9
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