I took these photos two months ago, but it seems like much longer. Anna and I spent an evening being sandblasted while picking plastic off of Muriwai Beach. So many straws. Lollypop sticks. Toothbrushes. Bottlecaps. Yesterday at Waiwera, I watched a party balloon skid across the beach and out into the Hauraki Gulf. We unthinkingly throw so much plastic into the environment, and it ends up in the oceans. Strewn across beaches. Mistaken for food by marine animals, from seabirds to whales. Stifling and strangling. As you can tell, it’s something I feel quite strongly about, and it’s something I think everyone should have to think about. What happens to what we throw away? Single-use plastic bags, cups, and straws all endlessly frustrate me. They’re such an unnecessary convenience. And when we’re done with them, they sit in a landfill or get washed out to sea, accumulating quietly. With everything we throw away that doesn’t decompose, we throw away a little bit more of our earth, our environment, and our only home.

The only things that should wash up on our beaches are driftwood and shells, natural marine debris. Not our junk. One of my challenges this year has been to cut as much plastic out of my life as possible – and it’s hard. Plastic is our pervasive convenience that has a massive impact on the environment. So this long weekend, pick a beach, and pick up all the plastic, all the rubbish you can find. It’s not a solution to the problem, but it keeps it out of the environment where it does the most damage.

This blog wasn’t meant to be an angry rant. I thought the contrast of a beautiful evening at Muriwai and the grating presence of rubbish on the beach could shed a little light on this issue. And I challenge you to use less plastic too – less convenience, more permanence. It’s as easy as having reusable bags to carry groceries in rather than using a plastic bag every time. They last longer, and they look nicer too.

Have a great weekend, everyone.