One of my pet peeves is litter, the sheer amount of trash and litter is incredible. Recently I moved to the beach and made a commitment to pick up beach trash at least once a week. I can’t tell you how disgusting it is. 99% of the trash, particulary in the summer is deliberate. From candy and fast food wrappers, cigarette, bottles, bottle caps, beach toys just to name a few. 99% is also plastic.
In the interest of recycling, I have donated over 200 pair of shoes, 30 towels (humane society) over 350 newer condition beach toys, I would estimate at least 50 pounds of clothing, primarily mens underwear and socks, spiced with 4 Victoria Secret bras and thongs. Approximately and over 1,000 cans and bottles have been recycled.
But what to do with the broken beach toys, over 3,000 bottle caps, medical marijuana and prescription drug containers, over 1000 balloon pieces and parts, sunglasses, sunscreen and more? Well I decided to have a Beach Trash Art party with some of my friends and convert waste into fun art. I had salvaged wood, beach trash all we needed was glue guns and wine!
I love the The Dude by Katy. He is made with reclaimed wood, buoys, hats (I average 1 hat a week on the beach) cigarette butts, sunglasses, beach toy packaging (average 3 /day) Skoal container (about 4 per week) beach toys, frisbee, Lighter (at least 1 lighter a day) Chapstick, at least 1 a day found) prescription bottle (at least 4 per week found) wallet/ with ID (about 1 /week found during the summer, shoes (at least 2 pair a day found) T-shirt (in the summer 2 a day found) bottle caps (average 50 bottle caps a day, with a high of 600 bottle caps found in 1 afternoon.
I always find it incredible the amount of drinking (illegal) on the beach and not only do they drink, they use and leave behind Glass bottles, cups and all the party paraphernalia. It is not unusual to find a couple of cases of beer (glass) food wrappers, cigarettes and more just left on the beach.
Rena, decided the dude needed company, which is apparent by the amount of condoms on the beach. Womens T’s (over 25 donated) Makeup, glasses, Lighters, unused condom, loved the razor, bottle caps, corks, (about 2 a week average found on the beach) and the worst, condiment packaging. Of course, the more people on the beach, the more packaging. Fast food packaging, including candy wrappers, salsa containers (Plastic) average over 100/ day.
Rena, American Sex on The Beach
My friend Ginny is a foodie! This is very appropriate since it is estimated that 10% of fish have eaten plastic. Plastic forks, spoons and knives, during the winter have been averaging around 5 a day, in the summer, easily 20 pieces a day, bottle caps, toys.
Ginny, while not a Trekkie showed use we could reuse the hundreds of non-biodegradeable boogie boards abandoned on the beach. This type of styrofoam boogie board is pretty rare, but the balls are not. To date, have picked up over 20 tennis balls, 8 golf balls, 4 Footballs, 3 soccer balls and over 50 assorted plastic balls.
Broken Boogie boards during the summer at least 2 per day. In the winter rare, but broken leashes from surfboards, average about 3 per week. But Balloons.. I pick up and average of 20 balloons, pieces of balloons, ribbons, balloon accessories every time I pick up trash. The other day, I picked 11 Mylar balloons wafting the ocean.. and over 50 other pieces.
Then we decided we had so much fun, so we had a little get together at a coffee shop in Oceanside for our friends and family. We had about 20 pieces to show.
We had alot of fun, but I was thinking this is a great do good, feel good idea for family and friends. The one thing you know, is trash and litter is renewal.. Have a party, collect litter or any objects that you would normally throw or recycle away, invite some friends and have a Found Object party.. I guarantee you will have a blast~