Think Bigg

Sadly, we’ve all been to beaches where cigarette butts litter the sand and plastic bags blow around the beach. Just how long does litter stay in the marine enviroment?

The Blue Ocean Society in Portsmouth, New Hampshire provides these sobering statistics on the lifetime of all that trash:

When hundreds of years must pass before a fishing line, an aluminum can or a plastic bottle biodegrades, it is clear that our beaches and oceans will not be able to renew themselves.

For more information on how you can get involved, read on!

* Go on a beach cleanup, or start one of your own! If you’re in the New England area, you can sign up for one of the beach clean-up projects sponsored by Blue Ocean.

* Next time you’re at the beach, pick up one of two pieces of trash that don’t belong to you. While it’s unpleasant to clean up after someone else, every little bit makes a difference.

* Remember to recycle! Every bit of waste that can be recycled will eliminate not only the trash issue, but the continuing waste of precious resources as well.

* Perhaps you want to make the commitment to adopt a beach? Blue Ocean helps organize groups to adopt beaches on the New Hampshire coastline, but any stretch of oceanfront (or park, or schoolyard or parking lot) could be adopted by your local community group to pick up trash on a regular basis.

Whichever way you choose to help, find out what you can do and remember to do it consistently. You don’t have to do it all, but you must try to remember to do what you can!

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