During my morning beach walk the week of July 4th, I ran into our trusted patrol officer, Steve.  No one knows the beach better.  He is on the sand most every day 12 months of the year.

We had a brief chat and I asked him what he had found on the beach so far.  “Balloons and more balloons” he bemoaned.  I then asked him how many.  His response:

“Only about 15, but the day is young.”

What made me finally publish this over a month later?

My beach trash count from yesterday:

• 1 Milk Carton
• 2 Plastic Cups
• 5 Plastic Bottles

And..

• 15 Balloons

Please help us spread the word.

Balloons are one of the most common forms of beach trash.  Unlike some other plastic problems, however, a relatively easy solution exists.

Don’t buy or release balloons for celebrations.

Why is this important?

Balloons blow for miles creating a major source of ocean pollution.

Next, encourage your community to ban them.  Crazy you say.  No.

If you do, you won’t be alone and will multiply the difference you make.  It’s happened already in the following communities:

• Huntsville, Alabama
• San Francisco, California
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Ocean City, Maryland
• Everett, Massachusetts
• Nantucket, Massachusetts
• Provincetown, Massachusetts
• Atlantic City, New Jersey
• Ventnor, New Jersey
• Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
• Plymouth-United Kingdom
• New South Wales-Australia
• Sunshine Coast-Queensland-Australia
• Palm Beach, FL

More information on balloon laws and bans can be found by clicking here.

Take a little time to make a difference and, like Steve, help keep our oceans clean.

 

For more on Clean Up Oceans and links to organizations that you can support, please click the following or contact Preston McSwain directly.

Organizations that We Support

Contact Information for Preston McSwain