Local leaders to rally in Ocean Beach to reduce plastic pollution

On Saturday, Jan. 4, at 9 a.m. Oceana and Surfrider will hold a press conference and rally at Ocean Beach Veterans Plaza with local leaders calling for the legislature to pass Assembly Bill 1080 and Senate Bill 54, the California Circular Economy and Pollution Reduction Act.

The proposed legislation offers the most comprehensive framework in the nation to address single-use packaging and products. The event coincides with Surfrider’s monthly beach cleanup to highlight the impacts of plastic pollution on our environment and urge swift action to address the plastics crisis in our oceans.

Expected to attend are:

· Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, CA District 80;

· Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath, CA District 76;

· Assemblymember Todd Gloria, CA District 78;

· Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, San Diego County District 4;

· Councilmember Chris Ward, City of San Diego District 3;

· Brady Bradshaw, Oceana campaign organizer;

· Mitch Silverstein and Roger Kube, Surfrider Chapter.

An estimated 17.6 billion pounds of plastic enter the ocean every year, the equivalent of a garbage truck’s worth of plastic entering the ocean every minute. Much of this plastic never fully goes away, instead breaking up into smaller and smaller pieces that attract harmful pollutants and are ingested by everything from small fish to sea turtles and whales.

With plastic production growing at a rapid rate, increasing amounts of plastic are expected to flood the planet with devastating consequences. By decreasing single-use packaging and products sold in California, and ensuring the remaining items are effectively recycled or composted, AB 1080 and SB 54 should help reduce the amount of plastic waste that pollutes natural environments and harms wildlife, poses risks to human health, and burdens taxpayers and local governments in California.

This article was originally published on sdnews.com