Our Daily Ocean: Day 66

As I sit here typing... we've already done our 68th beach clean up.  I'm honestly feeling a bit overwhelmed right now.... so I'm happy that I have a day to think about what we found tonight at Wrightsville Beach.  Sooo... since I'm moving slow on getting my posts up, I'm mentally rewinding to Friday.

During an amazing dinner at South Beach Grill, my husband and I had a really great conversation with the owner-- John.  Not only does John own one of the best local restaurants (which happens to serve the BEST local flounder I've ever eaten!)... he has also been so extremely supportive of my efforts.  :)  While talking to John, I (of course) managed to bring up plastic straws.  Planting a seed. ;) Maybe South Beach could be the first restaurant on Wrightsville Beach to phase out plastic straws?!?  The thought makes me extremely hopeful, because all it takes is for one to start the shift...

After dinner, my husband and I did a 20 minute clean up just a short walk from the restaurant at access 29.  In all honesty, when we walked onto the beach I thought that it didn't look too littered.  BUT.... it only took a short time on the beach for us to start noticing the groups, trails, pairs and piles of cigarette butts all over the sand.

There are often many times that we find things at the beach that make me pause... and roll my eyes.  This wrapper is one of those things.  Seriously, SOLO cups are disposable #6 (that's polystyrene) plastic.  Not even accepted for recycling.  Oh wait, what about that little recycle symbol??  Meaningless.    Dump the crappy throwaway cup for a reusable one.  Words to live by: 

Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse... then (and only then) Recycle

20 minutes at Access 29 on May 20, 2011

Litter by weight: 1 lb 1.8 oz
Cigarette butts: 399

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 66 days: 

18,333