Rise Above Plastics!

Rise Above Plastics (RAP) is a starting point for raising awareness of the problems that plastic brings to our oceans. Every bit of plastic that was ever produced still exists today, and much of it ends up in the ocean – as evidenced by the infamous flotilla in the North Central Pacific Gyre. RAP endeavors to spur you to action – at home, at the store, at city hall. Each of us depends on plastic in some form every day, but much of it is a convenience choice, a decision that can easily be swayed toward the proper environmental path, requiring no more effort on your part.

Central to our campaign is an attempt to kill the demand for non-necessary plastics at the source, by encouraging the development and use of “alternatives” and reduction of packaging. We aim to transcend (rise above!) the knee-jerk acceptance of single-use plastic bottles or ubiquitous plastic shopping bags (or other “do-dad” plastic junk created for new, introduced “needs”) when better robust, reusable and sustainable options exist.

Here are some numbers:
• Californians are issued 600 plastic bags EVERY SECOND. Most are used only one time and then discarded.
• The amount of petroleum required to produce single use water bottles, filter the water, transport and dispose of these UN-necessities could be represented with each bottle being quarter-filled with petroleum.

The easy targets are the bottles and bags – we are attempting to find ways to shift the general public away from use of these items through awareness and education, legislation and other innovative methods to be developed by our members. This is where we hope to activate and energize you – bring on your ideas, initiatives and impetus! Join the Surfrider Foundation’s RAP campaign and make a difference on our essential marine environment.

For more information on plastic pollution please visit our Rise Above Plastics blog , cawrecycles.org and algalita.org