New ways to upcycle plastics, dead sea turtles, and less pollution in some places

Collaborative efforts around the world continue to gain strength to help communities address water pollution. This week, we highlight new efforts to address plastic pollution and research showing the impact of plastics on marine life. Here are some recent stories: 

Can upcycling really help the oceans? - GreenBiz

Source: Greenbiz.com

"As recycling rates drop and ocean pollution worsens, many innovators are taking marine debris, a notoriously unrecyclable material, and turning it into useful items. They’re turning all types of marine plastic trash, from old fishing gear to bits of broken-down hard plastic called microplastic, into new products. [...] Products currently made from recycled ocean plastic include shampoo bottles, skateboards, sunglasses, athletic shoes, sportswear, doormats, jewelry and board shorts. Some companies involved in ocean plastic "upcycling" are reporting encouraging numbers in keeping marine debris out of landfills and the ocean." Read the full story at Greenbiz.com

Coalition calls for oxo-degradable plastic ban - Edie.net

Source: Edie.net

"A coalition of businesses, NGOs, scientists and politicians have come together to call for a ban on oxo-degradable plastic packaging, which has been linked to microplastics pollution. [...] 

Oxo-degradable plastics are produced in many countries across the world, including the UK, and is broadly used in packaging and plastic carrier bags. These materials are often touted as a solution to plastic pollution, with some claiming that it biodegrades into harmless residues.

But researchers have disputed this assertion, with a mounting body of evidence showing that oxo-degradable plastics fragment into tiny pieces, including microplastics. This poses an environmental risk, evidence suggests, particularly in the ocean. On top of this, it is believed that these plastics are not suited for effective long-term, recycling at scale or composting." Read the full story at Edie.net 

Harbour cleanup efforts pay off - The Chronicle Journal

Source: The Chronicle Journal

"Thunder Bay’s long polluted harbour may not be so polluted any longer, according to the agency overseeing efforts to clean it up.

The Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan (RAP) said Thursday that plankton levels have improved to the point where that particular problem should be removed from a list of specific concerns about the harbour’s water.

Plankton are microscopic organisms in the water column that fish feed on, and healthy levels generally indicate the water is in good shape.

If the harbour’s plankton is deemed to be no longer “impaired” and removed as an issue by Canadian and U.S. authorities, it could help efforts to have the city’s harbour to become de-listed as one of the Great Lakes areas of concern." Read the full story at The Chronicle Journal

Thousands of Dead Sea Turtles — SOS - Huffington Post

Source: The Huffington Post

"Sea turtles have swum the seas for a couple hundred million years. Today all seven species are in dire shape, especially in Australia and El Salvador.

There are four man-made culprits that are quickly driving these glorious masterpieces – the last vestige of the dinosaurs – off the planet: Fisheries, petroleum-based plastics, the climate crisis, and persistent organic pollutants.

Fisheries are annihilating everything in the seas. Thirteen million miles of longlines, or enough line to encircle the equator 522 times, with almost 2 billion legal and illegal hooks. In 2000 alone, according to Duke University workers, longlines murdered 200,000 loggerheads and 50,000 leatherback turtles." Read the full story at The Huffington Post

Coral thinks plastic is delicious - Treehugger.com

Source: Treehugger

"For years, scientists thought that marine animals eat plastic by accident. There is so much of it in the water and it's hard to differentiate it from real food, so it ends up getting eaten. But now research is showing that marine animals actually like the taste of plastic, adding a worrisome element to the pollution problem.

Some research has been done on fish, but now a recent study out of Duke University and published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin looks at coral's surprising preference for raw plastic. Scientists fed plastic micro-fragments and sand to coral polyps in a laboratory. They did this by dropping the piece near the coral and watching its reaction." Read the full story at Treehugger.com

SOP Technologies on a mission to Stop Ocean Pollution

SOP Technologies brings new solutions to address issues relating to floods, pollution and high costs of stormwater maintenance. Learn more at https://soptechint.com/ 

A few more hours to help protect the environment in 2014...

Several nonprofits work tirelessly to stop ocean pollution and protect our water resources. If you're looking to support these efforts, consider donating to one of these organizations:  

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation was founded in 1967 to protect this vital natural, and economic, resource. CBF Mission

According to their site, donate by December 31st, and your gift will be matched, dollar-for-dollar! Make a Donation

The Environmental Coalition of Miami & the Beaches operates in the Miami-Dade County area, and provides a variety of programs to protect the local beaches and waterways. These efforts include litter prevention programs, screening of environmental documentaries, and recycling programs. ECOMB Mission  Make a Donation

The 5 Gyres Institute aims to eliminate plastic pollution. That's a major task, especially because of the amount of stormwater pollution that constantly flows into our waterways. 5 Gyres Mission

"Around the world, plastic pollution has become a growing plague, clogging our waterways, damaging marine ecosystems, and entering the marine food web. Much of the plastic trash we generate on land flows into our oceans through storm drains and watersheds. It falls from garbage and container trucks, spills out of trashcans, or is tossed carelessly." 5gyres.org

Consider Making a Donation to support 5 Gyres in their efforts to eliminate plastic pollution. 

Plasticized is a documentary highlighting plastic pollution in our oceans.

The Surfrider Foundation has a simple mission, "to protect and enjoy our oceans, waves and beaches." Surfrider Foundation Mission

With more than 250,000 supporters, and 84 chapters around the world, the organization has a global impact.   Making a Donation can help continue their efforts. 

There are many, many more nonprofits that help prevent and remove pollution from our oceans and waterways. If you would like us to mention other organizations in future blog posts, please let us know.

Stop Ocean Pollution is not affiliated with any of these organizations, but we figured it would be helpful to share some information about them. 

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Want to join the world's largest coastal cleanup on Sept. 20th?

Communities around the world are joining forces on September 20th to Stop Ocean Pollution!

The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), organized by Ocean Conservancy, has many volunteer opportunities. 

Want to participate? Check out Ocean Conservancy's interactive map and find a volunteer location near you! 

The California Coastal Commission is doing their part, and created this simple, yet stunningly clear video of the problem we're trying to address: 

In the mood to clean some islands? The Environmental Coalition of Miami & the Beaches (ECOMB) has several sites in the Miami area. 

Visit ECOMB's volunteer sign-up page

Previous clean-ups were very successful, and here are infographics from Ocean Conservancy, to show the Top 10 Items Found and Weird Finds from 2013

Infographics are cool, but remember to take action and volunteer! The map above is a link to find volunteer locations near you.

See how our stormwater filter prevents pollution, while reducing stormwater management costs and flood risks: StopOceanPollution.com/our-technology/