The last few days we've had some pretty consistent surf here on my little stretch
of the Jersey Shore. Tuesday was onshore and chunky with those three-foot against-the-grain rights that can be so much fun, especially when it's gray and rainy and no one's around. Wednesday was offshore and a little bit over head-high all afternoon.
On Tuesday, I was walking up the beach and found this contraption pictured to the left. On my walk up I collected a balloon, a piece of string, and this crude paraphernalia (the emphasis on crude.)
OK. From now on, balloons
have to be made out of something biodegradable. I can hear the protest now from kindergarteners everywhere, but you'll thank us for this one day.
The piece of string, I recycled — literally. I threw it in my car and I'm sure I will use it one day when the leash string snaps on my board.
Now on to this awful thing. It was basically a pipe, made of a Staples pen inserted into the side of a pain killer bottle, held together with electrical tape.
Really?
You can insert my token Disney "don't do drugs" thing here, but are you freaking kidding me with this thing? Who is smoking out of this? And if you think this is a good idea, you must be high — high on all the chemicals fumes you're inhaling.
"Doooood! You tried that good stuff laced with electrical tape adhesive? It will mess you up!"
My man Pete Machotka gets high the right way.
That was a lengthy lead in. Today I have some facts about plastics for you.
Only 1% to 3% of plastic bags ever get recycled.
Think about that. Do you really need a bag every time you buy a pack of gum? And if you're not onto reusable canvas bags by now, you're a caveman.
A plastic cup
can take 50 to 80 years to decompose.
I know certain eateries around here like Surf Taco
and Fins
use biodegradable cups. Support those businesses. Even the X Games catering uses potato-based utensils.
An estimated 14 million pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean every year.
Most of that is plastic. The fact that this is still happening is scary and it's largely political. But we can help by simply using less and recycling everything.
Plastics can be made into clothing.
Billabong just won SIMA's
"Environmental Product of the Year Award" for its plastic bottle recycled boardies.
Get educated. Get on it. And don't toss your crappy makeshift plastic pipe in the drink!
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Contributors
Jon Coen
Jon is from New Jersey and continues to reside there with his wife and dog—which means occasional empty barrels and the occasional session in the snow.The state isn't as dirty as people might think, but he'll let them keep believing that.
Jake Howard
Jake lives, writes, and surfs in San Clemente, California. He spent his formative gremlin years surfing points north of San Francisco, and for the last 10 years has been contently surviving behind the Orange Curtain.
Kimball Taylor
Author of Return by Water, as well as books on Jeffreys Bay and Pipeline, Kimball drives a red hot Camero, and back in the '70s, he used to party with your Dad.
Daniel Ikaika Ito
Daniel surfs like a hippie, but dresses like a homie. The Native Hawaiian originally hails from Hilo, but now resides in Honolulu. He enjoys twin-fins, new sneakers and being ESPN's "Cuz On The Scene" in the 50th State.
Jason Kenworthy
About as majestic as a turkey vulture, when he's not shlepping his lens around the world or looking for road kill, Jason can be found at home in Dana Point tending to his growing brood.
