Don’t Miss Our First Members-Only Live Webinar!

We’re thrilled to announce Education Sparks Change: Plastic Free July & Beyond — Turtle Island Restoration Network’s very first exclusive live webinar just for our incredible members! Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 30th at 5pm PST and get ready to dive in with our passionate Gulf of Mexico and Oceans team.

This special event is your chance to discover local solutions to plastic pollution, hear inspiring success stories from the frontlines of ocean conservation, and learn simple, effective actions you can take to help build a plastic-free future long after July ends. It’s also the perfect time to bring all your sustainability questions — our team loves connecting directly with members like you and sharing the latest updates on our work to protect our oceans and marine wildlife.

Come curious, leave inspired, and feel even more empowered to make waves for a healthier blue planet. We can’t wait to sea you there!

Become a TIRN member today to access exclusive content, like this live webinar, here.

Already a TIRN member? Access your membership portal to sign up for the webinar here.

Recently, a sea turtle hatchling in Australia was found with debris in its digestive system. After being discovered on a beach in Sydney, the green sea turtle hatchling defecated plastic for six days. This discovery emphasizes the importance of reducing dependence on single-use plastics. 

Evidenced by the green sea turtle hatchling, plastics can harm marine wildlife of all sizes and ages. TIRN works continuously to end plastic addiction, with multiple programs to tackle the issue. There are numerous ways individuals can become involved to reduce plastic in the ocean, including ways to reduce the amount of plastic in their own lives.

Marine wildlife can easily mistake plastic bags for food because floating in the ocean they look similar to a jellyfish. In addition to bags, there are other sources of plastic debris in the ocean, including fishing gear, balloons, and more.

To see the original tweet, you can view it below.

A green sea turtle hatchling found on a beach in Sydney defecated plastic for six days following its rescue, said Taronga Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital. Sarah Male, a veterinary nurse, said that they have had hatchlings of all different sizes with ocean debris inside their gut system pic.twitter.com/EhqM9IrGnN

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 3, 2022

According to a recent study by the United Kingdom government, the introduction of a higher charge for plastic bags resulted in lesser use. The past year, the introduction of a 10p charge per plastic bag led to a 20% decrease across the country.

A charge on plastic bags was first introduced in 2014, at 5p a bag. According to government figures, the 2022 report reveals a 97% reduction in plastic bags sold, compared to the 2014. This figure translates to roughly 7.4 billion less bags being issued by major retailers in the United Kingdom.

Plastic bags are a big contributor to plastic pollution in our oceans. Marine wildlife, such as sea turtles, can mistake plastic bags as jellyfish. As a result, these bags can end up in the digestive systems of animals, harming them. Reducing plastic is an important part of fighting toward ocean conservation.

You can find environmental news, as well as the ways Turtle Island Restoration Network fights plastic addiction on our website.

We’re nearing the end of Plastic Free July — a global movement to encourage individuals to reduce plastic waste and stop the habit of using single-use plastics  — but that doesn’t mean we’re halting our efforts to prevent plastic from entering our oceans on both an organizational and individual level. Plastic waste is found in the stomachs of over 50% of the world’s sea turtles, ingested by more than 90% of seabirds, and is tangling and choking whales, sharks, and other marine animals. We’ve been sharing tips all month on what you can do to prevent plastics from entering our oceans and killing our sea turtles and want to pose the question: what will you do to make every month plastic-free? 

1. Bring the bag.

Problem: Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes, yet 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually. Fewer than one percent of plastic bags are recycled, and don’t break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.

Solution: Bring the bag! By remembering to bring your own reusable bags, you are eliminating a source of single-use plastic bags from entering our oceans and waterways.

2. Invest in a reusable water bottle.

Problem: Humans buy about one million plastic bottles per minute! Only about 23% of plastic bottles are recycled within the U.S.

Solution: Invest in a reusable water bottle! Not only are they good-looking and functional, you will save an average of 156 plastic bottles from entering nature annually.

3. Say NO to balloons.

Problem: Year after year, balloon-related litter is one of the most prevalent and identifiable items found ingested by local wildlife. Animals like sea turtles, coastal birds, and fish are often found entangled in the ribbon attached to balloons.

Solution: Pledge to stop using balloons. There are many eco-friendly alternatives to balloon releases include planting a tree, playing music, and lighting a candle.

4. Refuse plastic straws.

Problem: Americans use over 390 million straws every day, and the average lifespan for a straw is 30 minutes. Straws take from 200-500 years to decompose and continue to be a threat to wildlife as they photo-degrade into microplastics.

Solution: Let waitstaff know ahead of time you don’t want a straw. Purchase environmentally-friendly straws and carry them with you.

5. Bring your own utensils.

Problem: It is estimated that the United States wastes 40 billion individual single-use plastic utensils every year. After just one single use, most of them are thrown out and end up in landfills and in our waterways.

Solution: Bring your own utensils! Enjoy eating knowing your durable, convenient utensils are waste-free.

6. Help keep nature clean.

Problem: Single-use-plastics frequently do not make it to a landfill or are recycled. A full 32% of the 78 million tons of plastic packaging produced annually is left to flow into our oceans; the equivalent of pouring one garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute.

Solution: Keep an eye out for trash, plastic, and other marine debris when you are on the beach or hiking in nature and dispose of any waste you find responsibly.

7. Support eco-friendly legislation and leaders.

Problem: Laws and regulations designed to protect wildlife and wild plans work! But senseless rollbacks — spearheaded by political leaders — that put profit over the health of the environment and communities are destroying the natural world.

Solution: Support environmental legislation and elect officials who will stand behind eco-friendly initiatives!  

8. Opt for reusable produce bags.

Problem: Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture. It only takes about 14 plastic bags for the equivalent of the gas required to drive one mile.

Solution: Reusable produce bags have enough durability that you can use them for years to come. They can be washed, cleaned, dried and then be used again!

9. Bring your own cup.

Problem: Paper cups are not recyclable because of the plastic liner. If an individual purchases a disposable cup every day, this creates about 23 pounds of waste per year.

Solution: Bring your own cup or use a reusable mug when you purchase a beverage.

10. Try an eco-friendly toothbrush. 

Problem: Over a billion toothbrushes end up in landfills every year in North America. Plastic toothbrushes are made from a combination of plastic material derived from crude oil, rubber and a mix of plastic and cardboard for the packaging.

Solution: Toothbrushes made of bamboo are a renewable alternative that has the added benefit of being 100% biodegradable.

11. Opt for soap bars.

Problem: From production to packaging, liquid soaps require five times more energy for raw material production and nearly 20 times more energy for packaging production than bar soaps do. 

Solution: Replace liquid soap with a widely-available, eco-friendly alternative — soap bars!

12. Support sustainable businesses.

Problem: Just 100 companies have been the source of more than 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1988. A fifth of global industrial greenhouse gas emissions are backed by public investment.

Solution: Support businesses that do not develop environmental threats for current and future generations.

13. Make every month plastic-free!

Problem: Plastic pollution impacts critically endangered sea turtles at every stage of their life. Hatchlings are blocked by debris as they emerge from their nests on the beach and sea turtles drown from becoming entangled in discarded plastic bags, nest, and fishing line.

Solution: To prevent another sea turtle from becoming a victim to plastic, we must make personal lifestyle alterations to fight for these species. Strive to make every month plastic-free!

In recent months, the amount of plastic waste in our environment is surging.

As we adjust to the new certainty of living with COVID-19, we recognize the importance of kindness and camaraderie in our community during these difficult times. Marine debris has been a growing issue since plastics were introduced in the mid-20th century, but in recent months, the amount of plastic waste in our environment is surging.

The “throwaway” society after WWII led to an increase in disposable products, including silverware, cups, and napkins. You name it — it became disposable. In some ways, this lifestyle helped society recover from the war emotionally. The ability to dispose of items when people had suffered so long from the war and the Great Depression helped encourage a lavish-feeling lifestyle without the cost. 

The production of plastics is incredibly inexpensive and fluctuates with the price of oil. In recent years, as oil prices climb, the price to produce new plastic goods also increases. This helps support recycling facilities by making it a cost-efficient process. Companies can afford to purchase recycled plastics to manufacture their goods. 

Now enter a new global pandemic: COVID-19. This virus has wreaked havoc on the economy, dropping oil prices to levels not seen since the 2008 recession. Unfortunately, as oil prices plummet, the cost to produce new plastics becomes inexpensive, deeming recycling cost-inefficient. Coupled with a dire increase in the medical plastics field, single-use plastics are once again booming. 

The medical plastic market is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 17% due to a requisite for gloves, masks, ventilators, etc. Worldwide, organizations like TIRN are finding discarded gloves and masks throughout the environment. Rumors that reusable bags increase the risk of spreading coronavirus caused grocery stores around the nation to only allow single-use plastic bags at checkout, and the demand for restaurant take-out services — laden with plastic utensils, containers and bags — also increased. Many individuals are afraid of carrying this disease home, but they seem to have forgotten how to dispose of their waste properly.

“Worldwide, organizations like TIRN are finding discarded gloves and masks throughout the environment.”

In the past, we have seen that sea turtles and other marine organisms will ingest plastic items found in the ocean. As they break down, gloves end up resembling jellyfish—a favorite food for endangered leatherbacks. Plastics do not biodegrade, but photodegrade. As they float and travel the world with currents, they are exposed to sunlight which weakens the chemical bonds leading to fragmentation. As these items break down into smaller and smaller pieces, they impact other levels of the food web and never truly disappear. 

Plastics smaller than 5 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser) are considered microplastics, and they can be readily consumed by birds, fish, and filter feeders like oysters and corals. The long-term impacts of the chemicals in plastics are currently being researched by institutions around the world, but unfortunately it is still unknown what the end result will be. We do know that these chemicals are not good for us, or any of the organisms that have been studied. Eighty percent of the marine debris in the ocean comes from a land-based source: our watershed. 

Everywhere you go on land, you are in a watershed, and most places have a water source that will lead to the ocean. Marine debris might seem like an issue that only affects those of us that live near the beach, but that is far from the truth. Every person has a direct impact on the marine environment, simply by how they dispose of plastic trash. The best way to be an ocean advocate, no matter where you are in the world, is to refuse single-use plastics and pay close attention to your disposable items. Plastic items will outlive us and our descendants if buried in a landfill. Our world cannot sustain our current wasteful living.

Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Galveston Chapter of Surfrider Foundation unveil new signs at Randalls. Image available for media use.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, November 20, 2019

Contacts:
Joanie Steinhaus, 512-417-7741, joanie@seaturtles.org
Jeff Seinsheimer, 409-771-9522, chair@glaveston.surfrider.org

Environmental Groups Renew Push for Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban in Galveston

GALVESTON—Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Galveston Chapter of Surfrider Foundation unveiled new signs today for Galveston’s Bring the Bag campaign. The program aims to eliminate waste from single-use plastic bags in Galveston, despite a ruling by the Texas Supreme Court in 2018 that declared it a violation of state law for local governments to impose bans on plastic bags.

The signs, located at Randalls on Central City Boulevard in Galveston, showcase the Bring the Bag campaign and remind customers to bring their reusable bags when grocery shopping to reduce single-use plastic bags in the environment. The groups are hoping to install the signs in other places around town.

“As home to five out of seven species of sea turtle, including the world’s most endangered sea turtle, Texas should be leading the fight towards banning single-use plastic bags—not avoiding it,” said Joanie Steinhaus, program director at Turtle Island Restoration Network. “We need to be the voice for sea turtles, whales, and other sea life that can’t speak for themselves and are dying at the hands of human-produced plastic.”

“Single use plastic bags have become modern day tumbleweeds. They float easily in the air and water, traveling long distances, never fully breaking down. In addition to harming wildlife and the environment, they too often become unsightly litter all over our beautiful island,” said Jeff Seinsheimer, chairman of the Galveston Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.

Between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year, and these bags are used for an average of 12 minutes. With Galveston’s close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston Bay and West Bay, there is a strong possibility for single-use bags to enter a waterway, harming and killing marine life like sea turtles that often confuse plastic bags for food.

To help the City of Galveston work towards the reduction and elimination of single-use plastic bags in order to create a safer, healthier, and cleaner environment, Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Galveston Chapter of Surfrider Foundation created the Bring the Bag initiative. Galveston residents can participate in Bring the Bag and help keep our oceans clean by remembering to use reusable grocery bags when they shop.

At the urging of local environmental groups, the City of Galveston was considering joining 13 Texas cities in banning single-use plastic bags when a Texas Supreme Court decision overturned a municipal ban on single-use plastic bags, declaring it a violation of state law for local governments to impose bans on plastic bags. While there is no national plastic bag fee or ban currently in effect in the United States, eight states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, New York, Oregon and Vermont—have banned single-use plastic bags.

Turtle Island Restoration Network is a global nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and mobilize people around the world to protect marine biodiversity and the oceans that sustain all life on Earth. Learn more at www.seaturtles.org.

The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. Learn more at www.galvestonsurfrider.com.