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goal: 20,000

Rise Above Plastics

Sponsored by: Surfrider Foundation

There is a section of the Pacific Ocean twice the size of the continental United States called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Within it, 100 million tons of plastic swirl in a vortex of currents. There is so much plastic in the water that it outnumbers zooplankton by six to one!

This plastic ends up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals. In fact, one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die globally each year due to ingestion of or entanglement in plastics.

Plastic is forever, with virtually every piece of petroleum based plastic ever made still in existence. That's why it's so critical to our oceans and beaches that we dramatically reduce our use of plastics, especially single-use plastics, starting today.

You can make a difference for our world's oceans, waves and beaches -- pledge to rise above plastics today.

THE PLEDGE

I commit to do my part to rise above plastics and protect the world's oceans, waves and beaches from plastic pollution. I will do this by:

Using reusable bottles for my water and other drinks. By using just one reusable bottle, I will keep 167 single-use plastic bottles from entering the environment.

Using cloth bags for groceries and other purchases. For each reusable bag I use, I will save approximately 400 plastics from being used.

Recycling the plastic bags and bottles I already have. For every thirteen plastic bags I don't use, I will save enough petroleum to drive a car one mile.

Sign the Pledge

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What else will you do to protect the world's oceans from plastic pollution?

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We signed the “Rise Above Plastics” Pledge!

# 18,261:

6:02 pm PST, Nov 26, Natalie Santiago, Puerto Rico

# 18,260:

6:54 pm PST, Nov 21, Angela Moneck, Florida

# 18,259:

4:24 pm PST, Nov 20, Monica Dance, New Zealand
Sometimes I pick up plastic lying in local streets. In my town, rubbish in the streets is often washed by rain into the stormwater system, and from there it goes into local streams and then the sea. I suspect that a lot of plastic ends up in the sea this way. Please encourage your friends and your local councils to do the right thing.

# 18,258:

3:27 pm PST, Nov 20, Sheila Parks, North Carolina

# 18,257:

5:34 pm PST, Nov 17, Natalie DeRobbio, California

# 18,256:

7:02 am PST, Nov 16, Name not displayed, Florida

# 18,255:

8:41 am PST, Nov 15, Debbie Grade, New Mexico

# 18,254:

8:54 pm PST, Nov 11, Megan Zehnder, Missouri

# 18,253:

3:24 pm PST, Nov 8, Jack Harris, United Kingdom
Plastic is very useful and doesn't cost a lot. Don't ban it altogether but make it oxo-degradable so that it self-destructs, leaving no fragments, no methane, and no harmful residues. Don't go for compostable, as it costs too much and nobody wants to compost plastic anyway.

# 18,252:

11:47 am PST, Nov 7, Josh Mcbreen, Nebraska

# 18,251:

1:35 pm PST, Nov 6, Melissa Ewing, California

# 18,250:

4:26 am PST, Nov 6, JAY COLE, New York
1 stop all dumping in the oceans we can find a new and better way. 2 make people more aware of the problems, health,fish,cost of plastic,etc. 3 we dont need more laws. just more understanding of our earth that we live.

# 18,249:

12:05 pm PDT, Nov 1, Name not displayed, Oregon
For the past year I have been using re-usable shopping bags every time I shop at the farmer's market or grocery store.

# 18,248:

1:13 pm PDT, Oct 30, Name not displayed, California

# 18,247:

2:44 pm PDT, Oct 26, Jody Keelin, Minnesota

# 18,246:

12:45 am PDT, Oct 26, Brandie Will, Vermont

# 18,245:

3:30 pm PDT, Oct 25, Nichole Serfass, Pennsylvania

# 18,244:

9:57 am PDT, Oct 20, Allie Yungclas, Wisconsin

# 18,243:

8:36 am PDT, Oct 20, Ingrid Frassl, Austria

# 18,242:

5:01 pm PDT, Oct 19, Leslee Schaffer, California
I pick up every piece of plastic (or other non-biodegradable materials) I see anywhere near the sea. Some people give me strange looks, but more offer their thanks and appreciation.

# 18,241:

12:59 pm PDT, Oct 18, Julia Hoffman, Illinois

# 18,240:

3:14 pm PDT, Oct 10, Yolani Moratz, Florida

# 18,239:

11:36 pm PDT, Oct 3, Pauline Leung, Canada

# 18,238:

6:40 pm PDT, Sep 28, Nicolette Pocius, Pennsylvania

# 18,237:

8:49 am PDT, Sep 26, Angie Terry, Virginia
Always cut those little plastic things that string together 6 packs so they don't get caught around the animals' throats!

# 18,236:

6:23 pm PDT, Sep 25, Gail Canzano, Connecticut

# 18,235:

10:02 am PDT, Sep 25, Lyn Olsson, California
I use only cloth bags and reusable plastic bottles and will shortly switch to glass bottles. Regularly pick up litter in my town and encourage friends and neighbors to do the same. I head up a green campaign at work to reduce waste and conserve energy

# 18,234:

10:58 am PDT, Sep 21, Simos Tarabatzis, Greece

# 18,233:

4:39 pm PDT, Sep 20, Nicholas Rushin, Pennsylvania

# 18,232:

8:36 pm PDT, Sep 19, Lorraine Palmer, California

# 18,231:

2:07 pm PDT, Sep 19, Matthew Humphrey, Maryland

# 18,230:

12:00 am PDT, Sep 19, Thomas Roach, New Jersey

# 18,229:

2:30 pm PDT, Sep 16, Cabell Lemmond, Virginia

# 18,228:

9:42 am PDT, Sep 16, ALison Lynch, Virginia

# 18,227:

5:06 am PDT, Sep 16, Jara Chambers, Virginia

# 18,226:

4:33 am PDT, Sep 16, Christopher Marshall, North Carolina
My Community has just instituted a recycling progam I helped vote into being and it has cut the community waste by 25% and growing.

# 18,225:

7:34 pm PDT, Sep 15, Lissa Weiss, Virginia
I will continue not to use plastic bags at grocery stores and work at not buying bottled water. I will also locate a recycling center in my area to recycle as much as I can.

# 18,224:

12:34 pm PDT, Sep 15, Amy Hollinger, Colorado

# 18,223:

5:51 am PDT, Sep 10, Judi Welch, Pennsylvania

# 18,222:

1:32 pm PDT, Sep 8, Saajida Moosa, South Africa

# 18,221:

10:05 am PDT, Sep 7, Kristen Casenave, Texas
I have started using canvas bags for all shopping and when I forget I CARRY MY PURCHASES OUT WITH MY HANDS AND THROW THEM ON MY BACK SEAT AND PLEDGE TO REMEMBER NEXT TIME! Plastic bags should be outlawed...canvas bags can be given out by grocery stores for free--reusable of course... let's limit this senseless creation of harmful trash!

# 18,220:

12:10 pm PDT, Sep 6, Nicole Garza, Texas

# 18,219:

7:55 pm PDT, Sep 5, Aaron Franchi, Illinois

# 18,218:

9:42 am PDT, Sep 2, Rene Pugh, Pennsylvania
I always use reusable bags...I no longer purchase plastic bottles and recycle no 1,2 and 5 plastic containers.I work at not buying products packaged in plastic containers that are not recyclable.

# 18,217:

11:41 am PDT, Aug 31, Name not displayed, North Carolina
My family members exchange re-useable bags from all over the country so that we can not only have a good supply of re-useable bags when we go shopping but so that we can have something to talk about with other people in the store and show them alternatives to plastic bags.

# 18,216:

6:24 am PDT, Aug 31, Micael Ciaramella, New Jersey
I purchased a water filter, and will no longer buy plastic bottles . I did the same at work. keep up the great work!

# 18,215:

3:15 pm PDT, Aug 30, Ike Rauth, New York
RECYCLE!!

# 18,214:

5:55 am PDT, Aug 29, Mallaroni Stephane, France

# 18,213:

11:57 am PDT, Aug 28, Holly Mayer, Oregon

# 18,212:

10:47 am PDT, Aug 26, Christy Crawford, Michigan
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! Pick up plastic bags,etc. I see along the road, trail, beach, etc.

# 18,211:

9:56 pm PDT, Aug 23, Cecilia Height, Florida
Whenever I go to a restaurant, I bring my own reuseable conatiner for my "doggie bag". No styrofoam for us.

# 18,210:

12:21 pm PDT, Aug 23, Kelly Kemp, California

# 18,209:

1:35 pm PDT, Aug 22, Shawnamarie Murray MD, New Hampshire
ASK DINING ESTABLISHMENTS TO STOP USING SO MUCH PLASTIC, ENCOURAGE BETTER CONTAINERS IN " TO GO " FOODS......

# 18,208:

4:22 am PDT, Aug 22, Asli Gedik, Germany

# 18,207:

10:23 am PDT, Aug 20, Garrett Meigs, Oregon

# 18,206:

8:52 am PDT, Aug 20, Lisa H., Texas
I get after people at work who aren't recycling! I can't stand seeing aluminum cans in the trash!

# 18,205:

8:37 am PDT, Aug 20, Suzel VARGAS, France

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