New policies are needed to deal with the increasing amount of plastics litter polluting our ocean. Studies have shown that in the some areas of the Pacific plastic outweighs plankton by a factor of 46!  The majority of this oceanic plastic comes from urban litter.

Plastics are the fastest growing component of the waste stream.  Plastic does not biodegrade in the natural environment. When littered, items that had been designed for useful life of minutes at most (like plastic bags and polystyren to-go cups) degrade the environment for a lifetime as litter. Plastic litter has killed thousands of marine birds and mammals and threatens endangered species like sea turtles that mistake them for food.  Local governments collectively spend millions to clean up plastic litter out of impaired waterways.  Plastics have historically suffered from a low recycling rate.

The solution is clear: California needs to reduce the amount of high-litter-propensity plastic items it produces and put an economic value on what high-litter-propensity items remain so they can be recovered for recycling. We also need to ensure plastics are free of toxins.

Learn More About:

Oceanic Plastic Pollution

Plastic Bags

Foamed Polystyrene ("Styrofoam")

PVC

California Ocean Protection Council

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