Day 299 - June 26, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min. 

5.3 pounds

2 cigarette butts

I thought it might be fun to call this 800 number and tell them "how they're doing" with their plastic packaging. It's their customers, not the company leaving their empties behind, right? Well, EPR - Extended Producer Responsibility - asks companies to be responsible for the life of their products from creation to disposal. Here's a more precise definition. 

"There is a proven policy being applied in a growing number of jurisdictions to deliver impressive results in recycling and waste reduction. That policy is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), also known as Product Stewardship. EPR shifts responsibility for recycling or other safe disposal of products and packaging to those who design, market and profit from them: the producers."

Should we call "Mickey D's" and ask them if they've heard of it?

My friend Alfonso wrote an Op-Ed piece on the recycling, or lack of, during the Rio+20 Summit. As an Environmental Consultant living in Rio concerned about Plastic Pollution, 

his view point is informed and well thought out. 

Here's the link. 

My friend Danielle is back on the beach after a couple weeks of a hectic schedule. 

Here's her latest post from IT STARTS WITH ME. 

She finds hundreds of cigarettes on her 20 min. beach cleanups in the south. I found two tonight. 

Guess which of our two beaches bans cigarette smoking?

Another summer night where my bag was full to bursting after 20 min.