Our Daily Ocean: Day 224

At least once a week, my kids and I have gotten into a nice habit of going to the library and then to Wrightsville Beach to do a quick beach cleanup before we head to Tidal Creek Coop to do our grocery shopping.  It's a great routine for us because it creates a nice flow for our day.  

...And so it was, Wednesday morning we fell right into our perfect routine....

I think I like our routine so much because we start at the library borrowing books, then go clean up litter at the beach and end by doing our nearly plastic-free grocery shopping.  Conscious living with what feels like so little effort... but it wasn't always like that.  I used to buy books instead of borrow.  I used to go to the beach just to "go to the beach".  And, I used to not think about plastic and shop at chain grocery stores.  But I changed.  Little by little, things I read translated to things I did...

I am grateful for change.

Did you know that I haven't used a plastic straw in over 3 years?  Before then, I refused straws when I remembered but wasn't fully committed with my "no straw please" mantra.... it took me picking up straw after straw after straw at the beach before I finally said "No More Straws" for our family.  We all (yes, even my 3 kids) happily go without by requesting "no straws" when we eat out and carry our GlassDharma smoothie straws with us when we go out for shakes or smoothies.  Learn more about GlassDharma glass straws at their website.  But, if you're local... Tidal Creek Coop carries GlassDharma straws!

20 minutes on December 18, 2013 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 1.5 oz
Cigarette butts: 32

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 224 days:

57,283

Glass Dharma's 1000 FREE Glass Straws for Earth Day

It's only been a year since I started sipping my drinks again.  You see, I went several years saying "no thank you" to disposable plastic straws.  After finding so many littered on the beach, I just can't force myself to use them.  I still refuse plastic straws, but thanks to Glass Dharma reaching out to me last Earth Day, I have grown very fond of glass straws. :)

Some people say that Christmas is the season for giving, but if you know Glass Dharma... their season for giving is happening right now!  Each year for the past 4 years, Glass Dharma marks Earth Day by giving away FREE (yup, I said it: FREE) glass straws!!  AND... this year they want to go BIG!  Glass Dharma wants to give away 1000 FREE glass straws!!

It's super easy to participate!  Glass Dharma is asking YOU to share why you love glass straws OR why you would love a glass straw!  I'm super stoked that Glass Dharma has asked me to take an active role in helping them give away 1000 glass straws that I had to make a submission of my own to share!



Yup, I love sipping my drinks... slurping up the end of my smoothies... and taking my kids to get fun things like root beer floats.... all while encouraging others to kick their plastic straw habit.  :)

How about you?  What do you LOVE (or what would you love) about glass straws??

To participate in the 1000 FREE Glass Straws for Earth Day, be sure to follow all of the directions below! If you have questions, let me know!

Entrants - please include:
1. 100 to 200 word essay in an attached document (or) a link to a 1 to 3 minute YouTube Video
2. Your name, email address and mailing address. (In the body of your email)
3. Email your request for a free glass straw to: EarthDay@GlassDharma.com 
4. One entry per person (If multiple people are using the same email address, please note in the body of the email.)

Glass Straws and how they relate to a better world is the suggested inspiration point of submissions for this contest. Content ideas might include: Beauty, Joy, Taste & Planet Care (Environmental). Creativity is encouraged as you write or shoot your video!

Video and Essay submission instructions – simply include the link to your “YouTube Video” or attach your essay to your email (Word format (.doc) or basic text (.txt) format please)  

Electronic (email) submissions are preferred to snail mail as an optimum eco-choice. All entries must be received by Earth Day, April 22. We will begin shipping the straws after April 1^st and the 2 grand prize winners will be posted (and contacted) by May 5^th.

The first 1000 essay/video contest entries received by the Earth Day deadline will receive a free Glass Straw from GlassDharma!Please note that GlassDharma will pay shipping charges for each free glass straw up to $3.00 (free shipping for USA deliveries)

A judging panel consisting of three passionate Environmental Bloggers and three members of the GlassDharma staff is ready to select 10 finalists, five for the video category, and five for the essay category.  One Grand Prize Winner for each category will be selected by popular vote amongst the judges. Grand Prize Winners will receive a $100.00 electronic GlassDharma Gift Code by email.

Music in video by Joel P. West.

More blogposts about the 1000 Free Glass Straws:

Good Girl Gone Green: No Straw, Please

Sippin' (the Plastic-Free Way)

"Here can you hold this for me?" I said, while handing my daughter my glass straw.  Then as I started to fill my bulk containers, I heard: Ping ping ping  It was the sound of my glass straw hitting the concrete floor (at Tidal Creek).  I cringed thinking the worst.  Ok, I wasn't panicking or anything...Glass Dharma has a lifetime guarantee... so no need to fret... but still I cringed just the same. Then as I leaned over to pick it up... I noticed that it was perfect... absolutely perfect.  No cracks, no chips... no nothing.  :)

If you've been following along, I have been saying "no thank you" to plastic straws for quite some time now... and it's been almost a year since I committed 100% to not accepting plastic straws (no ifs ands or buts)-- even in my smoothies.  Yup, from August to May I had at least one smoothie a week and not one of them was drank with a straw.  That is until I participated in the Glass Dharma Earth Day Letter Writing Initiative... and got me some glass straws.  When I first got my glass straws, I was super excited... my kids and I popped them into our waters and fun ensued.  Seriously, it had been so long since we drank from straws that we forgot how much fun it was to sip, sip, sip....

Now I'd like to tell you that I take our straws with us everywhere and use them all the time, but to be honest.... I'm really really bad at remembering to take them when we go out to eat....UNLESS, of course, I'm getting a smoothie.

Admission:  I have an addiction to smoothies.  Seriously. I sip and slurp up A LOT of smoothies with my glass straws!  

Just to let you in on my addiction.  For the past year, I've been going to yoga every Friday.  And every Friday after yoga, I get a smoothie at Tidal Creek.  I've now upped my yoga to 3 times a week... and you guessed it... that means more smoothies!!  Sometimes they're chocolate, sometimes they're fruity... but boy oh boy are they always super yummy!! :)  Of course, I used to go without a straw.... I was cool with going without....really I was... yes, even with a green smoothie mustache and a line across my nose.... I was fine.  But... you know what????!!!  Smoothies are SO much better with a straw.  A million times better!!  No doubt the smoothie tastes good no matter what... but it's honestly more pleasurable to drink using a straw.


....Says the girl who always says, "I don't need a straw." ;)


Now that I officially have a major thing for glass straws... thanks Glass Dharma!!  I feel this need to share them with everyone.  It's fun to say "glass straw" and see people get very intrigued.  BUT... even better than that is giving them to family and friends! They are definitely my new favorite thing to gift.  When my family came out to visit for my birthday, I ordered a bunch of glass straws and gifted them to my family.  Days after getting home (to Iowa), my aunt made my cousin a thick milkshake...  and sent me his response.  Thumbs up!  His favorite feature was something I hadn't even thought of:  The glass straw doesn't go flat like a plastic straw!  Woot!!

While Bushwalla was staying with us, he came home with a drink with a plastic straw...yikes!... I asked "what's up with the plastic straw??".  ...and then, being the person I am...I couldn't let him go around using plastic straws.  Friends don't let friends use single-use disposable plastics. ;)  Without hesitation, I said, "I have something for you" and gave him one of my glass straws.  He immediately started using it... and a month later is still using it!!!  Most recently during his live and online show at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf he talked about reducing the amount of plastic he uses and showed off his glass straw!  Yay Yay Yay!!  Go B!!!  (another ripple effect in progress) 

Ok... so it's been 3 months since I got my first glass straw.  I'm super grateful that Glass Dharma asked me to participate in their Earth Day letter writing initiative because thanks to the glass straw I'm back to sipping my drinks... slurping up the end of my smoothies... taking my kids to get fun things like root beer floats... all while still encouraging others to kick their plastic straw habit. :)

Hmmm... it's still early... I think I need to go make me a smoothie... ;)

Our Daily Ocean: Day 61

After a long (and super fun) Mother's Day biking around Greenfield Lake, my husband asked me if I wanted to go to the beach to do a 20 minute clean up (and then get some ice cream)!  Yes please!  So after we ate dinner (at home... Mother's Day is too crazy to eat out!! ;) )... my husband grabbed his SUP, my kids grabbed their boogie boards, and I grabbed my buckets... and we hit the beach.

Since it was Mother's Day, I knew exactly where I wanted needed to go.  Access 36... Oceanic Restaurant.  The weather was absolutely perfect... that meant lots of people on the Oceanic dining pier.  "Oceanic is the only restaurant in Wrightsville Beach, NC situated on the beach overlooking the pristine Atlantic Ocean."  As I walked up to the pier, I started noticing straws.  Though I wasn't at all surprised.... I still couldn't stop shaking my head as I picked up straw after straw after plastic straw.

 I picked up 36 straws in 20 minutes!!!  AND... 28 of those 36 straws-- some clear, some black-- came from Oceanic.  78% of the straws that I picked up from Access 36 were there because of Oceanic's beach front dining.  *sigh*  There's something wrong with that.  Something NEEDS to change. 

I've written Oceanic suggesting some changes they could make such as: not using straws on the pier, switching to paper straws and the possibility of offering glass straws as an upgrade.  Hmmm.... it's my opinion (and it's a strong one!) that a restaurant such as Oceanic should take extra care in selecting the products they use.  It only makes sense that they help keep the main reason people dine at their restaurant... yeah... that's the location!... beautiful.  What do you think?  Contact Oceanic

Every time we do a 20 minute clean up, I share a photo of what we removed from Wrightsville Beach with Two Hands Project.  Two Hands Project is a simple concept that is spreading all over our world.  What's so great about sharing with Two Hands, is that there is such a great community of people taking little bits of time and making a big impact on our world.

Anyone can do it.  Anyone can inspire change.  Yes, even you. ;)  Thirty minutes, Two Hands. Clean up yOUR world anytime-- anywhere.  

20 minutes on May 8, 2011 at Access 36

Litter by weight: 2 lbs 10.1 oz

Cigarette butts: 183

Two Hands. 20 minutes.

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 61 days: 

17,240

Our Daily Ocean: Day 58

Saturday evening, as I walked up to Wrightsville Beach... I saw an overflowing trash can.  I looked around and saw trash everywhere... and in those quick glances... I knew that the beach was going to be trashed.  And I was right.       The beach was a complete mess... every direction we looked there was litter strewn about the beach.  Access 16 was in disarray and so my brain felt the same way.  But as much as I am bothered by how the beach was left by Saturday's beach goers, I wasn't completely shocked.  Looking at the state of the trash cans and recycling bins (above)... it was easy to see that even someone with the best of intentions could easily come up short.

Thankfully, we had extra help from Gabrielle Steele from the American Lung Association, who found me thanks to my Brita FilterForGood Film... emailed me and is now going to join us at Wrightsville Beach from time to time doing 20 minute beach clean ups!!  YAY!!

We also had help from my friend Bonnie of The Plastic Ocean Project, and Shirley... Bonnie's 83 year old (!!) mom.  As Bonnie says about her mom, "She's a testament that we can all help whether we are the ones who create litter or not."

Together the 5 of us removed nearly 16 pounds of litter from Access 16.  (ummm... yeah...just 5... my kids played the entire time and they had SO much fun!!)  As usual, nearly everything we picked up at Wrightsville Beach was used for just moments and then left, tossed, misplaced, blown and/or forgotten on the beach.  And... whether the litter happens purposefully or by accident... is usable or not... it's still litter.  

 

As warmer weather is now here and beach season is in full swing... I've decided to start separating and counting (most) everything that we find on the beach.  One thing that we find too often are plastic straws. *sigh* We picked up 22 on Saturday.  I'm committed to not using straws and I'm also very committed to helping others rethink their straw use.  Have you taken the time to participate in Glass Dharma's Glass Straw Earth Day Initiative??  It's easy. Write a letter to your favorite restaurants, copy your letter into the comments of my blogpost and email your letter to Glass Dharma.  Do ALL three steps by April 30 and Glass Dharma will mail you a FREE glass straw!!  Check it out here: Write a Letter... Get a FREE Glass Straw!!

Want to help with something else??  Sure you do!  ;)  NC Senator Thom Goolsby has sponsored a bill to repeal the plastic bag ban that is currently in place in the North Carolina Outer Banks.  If you or anyone you know lives in North Carolina, please take a moment to participate in this Surfrider Action Alert to preserve the plastic bag ban in the NC Outer Banks.  Please and thank you.

20 minutes on April 23, 2011 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 15 lbs 13.6 oz
Cigarette butts: 335

Go here see a full run down of what we picked up.  Also, all shoes and clothes that we remove from WB are donated and recyclables recycled. :)

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 58 days: 

16,627

Our Daily Ocean: Day 57

Before I started doing 20 minute clean ups, I thought that all of the litter we found on Wrightsville Beach during organized beach clean ups-- such as Surfrider and Big Sweep-- had accumulated over time.  Unfortunately, that's not the case.

Classic... using the beach as an ashtray. :(

Everyday our world is being trashed... and I just can't wrap my brain around the "why".... I don't understand how people can be so careless... and as we picked up over 6 lbs of litter yesterday...my husband said, "At what point do people say, 'Aww.... f*@k it.  Just leave it.'??"

Admittedly, I've been longing for warmer weather.... and Wednesday we got it.  86˚F and it couldn't have been more beautiful.  But now that beach season is here... it means more people flocking to Wrightsville Beach.  More people = more litter.  *sigh*  

In 20 minutes at Access 36 (our adopted beach access and home of the oceanfront restaurant Oceanic), we picked up 14 plastic straws.  I've talked to Oceanic about not using plastic straws (and other plastics) on the pier.  What I never thought about was them switching to paper straws or offering an upgrade to a glass straw.  Oceanic is one of the restaurants that I'll be writing to to participate in Glass Dharma's Earth Day Initiative.  Read about the initiative on my blog here or go here. (oh yeah, thanks to Beth Terry....I've finally added a letter to my blogpost... so if you need a little inspiration to get you started, please feel free to personalize my letter to make it your own!!)  

As we were picking up litter around Crystal Pier... my husband looked north (from Oceanic) and saw a huge mess in the grasses.  All sorts of plastics from straws to styrofoam had blown from the pier and had found a resting place in the beach grasses.  It was absolutely disgusting.  My husband said, "Don't pick that up.  I'm going to get a manager."  With that he was up on the pier speaking to a manager about using plastics on the pier dining area and the responsibility that Oceanic has to clean up their mess.  Moments later, the manager had a guy picking up litter.

What you can't see in this photo is all of the cracker wrappers, cigarette butts, straws, sugar packets, candy wrappers, etc.

You know what I find interesting about THIS photo???

The blue trash can in the background.  So close.  Chances are the person passed it when they left the beach... but they didn't bother to take their trash with them.  :'(

20 minutes on April 20, 2011 at Access 36

Litter by weight: 6 lbs 11.1 oz (yes... this is a record)
Cigarette butts: 208

If this is what 20 minutes on a weekday looks like in the spring... what is 20 minutes on a summer weekend going to look like??

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 57 days:

16,292

Write a Letter... Get a Free Glass Straw!!!

Every time I do a 20 minute beach clean up... it's (unfortunately) guaranteed that we're going to find littered straws.  Some days we find so many that I count the straws before I count cigarette butts....On Day 11, we picked up 26 straws in 20 minutes.... and on Day 52, we removed 21 straws in 20 minutes.  :(  

Starting on Day 55, I have begun tallying the number of straws we find during our 20 minute clean ups.  So far the two day tally is at 18.

Before we started doing the 20 minute clean ups... my husband and I were pretty good about REFUSING straws (yes, we even ditched lids on drinks in order to not use a straw).... but after picking up SO many at Wrightsville Beach (and other places around town).... it became obvious to us that we needed to ALWAYS refuse them.... saying "No Thank You" to a straw in our drinks has become second nature to us (yes, even our 3 young children refuse straws!!).  

After doing our 4th 20 minute clean up back in September, it became clear to us that a lot of the litter... including the majority of straws we find at access 36 find their way to the beach from the restaurant's dining pier.  I made the decision to contact the restaurant to make them aware of what we were finding AND to offer suggestions to the problem.  

I shared my letter here.... and encouraged everyone to write a letter to a restaurant.  NOW... I want to encourage you to participate in this GlassDharma restaurant letter writing initiative!! GlassDharma is motivated to make a difference and they are willing to put FREE glass straws where your lips are!

You read right... FREE glass straws!!

All you have to do is write a letter to a restaurant, suggesting ways they might reduce single use plastic straw trash and GlassDharma will send you a FREE glass straw!!  YAY!!!  

Ok... I'm super excited about this because I can't remember the last time I used a straw AND their straws are "kid-friendly"!!  Of course, I will be writing some letters!!  Some suggestions for how restaurants could reduce the use of single use straws are to: Ask customers if they want a straw, instead of automatically giving them one;  Make the switch to paper or reusable straws; and to recommend the restaurant offer GlassDharma drinking straws as an upgrade to their menu. (<--- how cool would that be?!?)

OK... so are you ready?!?  Here are the deets:

1. Write and send a snail mail* letter  to a restaurant -- (up to 5 different restaurants for up to 5 free straws!!)  *NO emails
2. Copy your letter, please include full contact information of the restaurant, into a comment on this blogpost :)
3. Send an email to earthday@glassdharma.com with a copy of your letter, including contact info of the restaurant AND your personal contact info so that a free GlassDharma Glass Straw can be mailed to you.  **Contact information for entrants and restaurants must include, name, mailing address and email address.  Please note: Participants from the US and Canada are only eligible to participate in this contest.

For writing the letter... or hopefully letters!!...and including all of the required contact information, a GlassDharma Simple Elegance Glass Straw (SE9.5NA8) will be mailed to you directly from the GlassDharma manufacturing facility in Fort Bragg, CA!! Yes, each participant gets a free glass straw!  One free straw per entry (multiple entries, up to 5, must include a different restaurant for each entry). 

GlassDharma will award one Grand Prize Winner a $100.00 gift certificate coupon code.  Entries received through 4/30/2011 and all straws will be shipped May 2- 4.  The Grand prize drawing to be held on 5/4/2011.

OK... So are you ready to make a difference?!?  I am... and I know just the 5 restaurants I'll be writing :) 


Here's one:
Oceanic

703 S. Lumina Ave
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480

 Dear Oceanic:

As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that you all use reusable dishes, real flatware, and glasses. I know that when we eat at Oceanic, we’ll have a waste-free meal, that is, as long as we ask for no straws. As a family that participates in regular beach clean ups, we have found that straws are one of the most littered items on our beach (and worldwide). Knowing that so many straws are littered, our family of five makes a conscious effort to not use plastic straws.


In honor of Earth Month, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.

1. Why not train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one? Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place.

2. Doing beach clean ups we find a good majority of plastic straws that have flown from the Oceanic dining pier. I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark (www.aardvarkstraws.com).

3. Please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. There is a US company called Glass Dharma. On their website they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants, which I think is a great idea. (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html)

I would greatly appreciate it if you would please let me know which steps you are willing to take. Besides the amazing selection of seafood, Oceanic is the only restaurant in Wrightsville Beach that overlooks the breathtaking views of the beach and Atlantic Ocean; I’d love for Oceanic to take steps to help preserve that beauty.

Sincerely,

Danielle Richardet
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