SUSTAINABILITY SHORE
ALL ABOUT SHARKS
PLASTIC WASTE AND THE TRASH VORTEX
Plastic bags are also among the top two items of trash found in our oceans, where they choke, strangle, and starve wildlife. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noted that plastic bags can also cover living corals in coral reefs, which can lead to the death of the reef. Many large coastal cities use barges to transport their garbage offshore and dump it into the ocean. This has caused an island of plastic to form off California’s west coast that is twice the size of Texas and made up of 7 billion pounds of plastic garbage. It is known as a trash vortex or the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" because the prevailing ocean currents keep it swirling around slowly in a circle. The dead zone is choked with dead fish, marine mammals, and birds that have gotten snagged in the mess. Zooplankton are small floating animals that drift with the currents. Along with phytoplankton (tiny plants), zooplankton make up the food supply upon which almost all oceanic organisms depend to survive. Plastic pieces now outweigh surface zooplankton in the central North Pacific Ocean by a factor of 6 to 1, according to researchers.
Reports of microscopic bits of plastic washing ashore to become part of a beach are starting to spring up where stunningly beautiful and abundant natural environments once stood.
Plastic pieces poison the ocean environment. They attract and hold deadly elements like PCBs, a pollutant used in coolants, transformers, capacitors, and electric motors; and DDT, a chemical compound widely used as an agricultural pesticide that Rachel Carson wrote about in 1962 in the famous book Silent Spring. Carson’s book documented the ways pesticides harm the environment and wildlife, particularly birds. Although both DDT and PCBs were eventually banned, these toxic, cancer-causing chemicals do not break down in the environment.
When plastic enters water sources, it stays there. According to the Research Triangle Institute, “every little piece of plastic manufactured in the past 50 years that made it into the ocean is still out there somewhere.” The plastics you use today will still be polluting our environment when your grandchildren are born. Keep these things in mind every time you use a plastic bag, drink from a polystyrene cup, or buy anything wrapped or contained in plastic. Instead, substitute reusable shopping bags, bottles, and containers, and do your part by spreading the word to end wasteful consumption of plastics.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
THE NUMBER SYSTEMS FOR PLASTIC RECYCLABLES
A coding system exists for identifying the type of plastic used in products and packing materials. This recycling codes system consists of a number within the universal recycling symbol, which is a triangle formed by three arrows. Each code provides useful information about the recyclability of an item and its possible effects on human health. Here are the seven types of plastics represented by the recycling codes system:
1. Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) is a clear, hard plastic used in disposable food and drink containers. PETE is easy to recycle into furniture, carpet, polar fleece, and some types of containers. No known health risks are associated with this type of plastic. PETE is accepted at recycling programs in most U.S. cities.
2. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a hard plastic but it is not transparent like PETE. HDPE is found in household cleaner bottles, shampoo bottles, and yogurt containers. Easy to recycle, it is accepted widely by recycling programs. It can be recycled into pens, recycling bins, laundry detergent bottles, drainage pipes, and fencing. No known health risks are associated with HDPE.
3. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is less stiff than HDPE but has many of the same uses. It is the main plastic in bottles for detergent, shampoo, and cooking oil. It is more difficult to recycle than the first two plastics and is not commonly collected in municipal recycling programs. PVC is known to contain phthalates, a suspected carcinogen, or cancer-causing agent.
4. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a soft, flexible plastic found in plastic bags including bread bags, frozen-food bags, and plastic shopping bags. Although LDPE can be recycled, it is often not included in city recycling programs but can be recycled in collection bins set up at many retail stores. There are no known health concerns related to LDPE.
5. Polypropylene (PP) is a plastic commonly found in bottle caps, some yogurt containers, medicine bottles, and straws. Number 5 plastics are not accepted by all recycling programs. If PP plastics are recycled, they are used in items such as brooms, racks, battery casings, and battery cables. No health concerns have been linked to PP.
6. Polystyrene (PS), also known as Styrofoam®, is found in disposable coffee cups and takeout food containers. PS is not accepted by many recycling programs. If recycled, it can be used in insulation. PS contains styrene, a suspected carcinogen.
7. Number 7 includes miscellaneous plastics but is most often polycarbonate (PC). PC is used in water-cooler bottles, most other large plastic containers, and, until recently, in baby bottles. Number 7 plastics are not commonly accepted by recycling programs. PC contains bisphenol-A (BPA), which is a known hormone disruptor. The use of BPA has been banned from some items.
IMPORTANT: Check with your city or county to see which numbered items are accepted for curbside recycling. Some recycling centers won’t accept electronic waste but a growing number of businesses now offer e-waste recycling.
THE SCOUT LAW & SUSTAINABILITY
A SCOUT IS:
Trustworthy. Sustainability starts with you, and helps you to stand out as a young leader. You can help by recycling, and advocating green solutions to everyday issues.
Loyal. Demonstrate sustainability by being the voice of reason and reminding others we all share limited resources.
Helpful. You can make a difference in your family and in your community—and help our world—by using only what you need. Take time to share with others what you are doing.
Friendly. Volunteer in your community at a community garden, recycling center, or other sustainable activity and encourage others to do the same. This can be a fun and exciting way to see firsthand how, when we all are working together, we can make a difference in this world.
Courteous. Always thank people for their help and understanding, because we all benefit from sustainability and thinking about how our actions, no matter how small, affect others.
Kind. Treat this world with respect, save valuable resources and set an example for others to follow. Take time to smile; it does make a difference.
Obedient. To protect the world’s resources you need to be true to yourself and believe in sustainability.
Cheerful. Tell your stories of sustainability activities and projects with a smile, knowing you are making a difference, and others just might take action based on how you tell your story.
Thrifty. Track your savings at home or in your troop on solid sustainability actions.
Brave. You can be a leader at home or in your community when taking the appropriate actions. Stand up for what is right; start with your actions so you and your family can lead others to engage in sustainable living.
Clean. Respect our world and the valuable resources we are consuming every day. You can always help by understanding what is really needed and talking with others to protect the air we breathe, and the water we drink.
Reverent. Always consider other points of view and be true to Earth, as we all live here together.
Remember that sustainability starts with you.
YOUR SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES
ELECTRONIC WASTE ACTIVITY
In today’s age, people are constantly changing their electronic devices every year for better and faster models. But what happens to your old devices? Are they just taking up space in your junk drawer or worse generating more waste in landfills that isn’t biodegradable? Here are a few ways that electronics affect the environment.
E-waste Contains Toxic Substances. The materials used to build these devices, testing has shown, can poison the soil around the landfill if there’s a lot of lead and mercury in them. Their components are literally toxic to the environment. Once tossed in a landfill, they’re simply being left to leach into the earth, especially during the summer months. When e-waste is exposed to the heat, toxic chemicals are released into the air damaging the atmosphere; this is one of the biggest environmental impacts of e-waste. Those toxic materials can then seep into the groundwater, affecting both land and sea animals.
Electronic waste can also contribute to air pollution. These are devices that don’t belong in the regular trash since they contain lead, mercury, cadmium, and other potentially harmful chemicals. There have even been studies done that indicate a link between e-waste in landfills and possible threats to human health, including serious respiratory issues. The journal Environmental Research Letters has reported that researchers took air samples from a large e-waste dismantling area in China and determined that these products had a negative impact on human lung cells.
Rising Volumes of E-waste. Besides the environmental risks, a major challenge today is the sheer volume of e-waste that gets discarded. As technology improves and each device is upgraded with additional features, the older versions become obsolete. Suddenly there’s more and more end-of-life electronic goods being discarded. It’s been estimated that each year, between 20 and 50 million tons of e-waste gets generated worldwide. In 2012, the U.S. alone generated more e-waste per resident than any other nation; more than 5 million tons of electronic equipment in the U.S. is recycled every year. That breaks down to approximately 74 pounds of e-waste per person.
How many electronic gadgets does your family have? What’s your favorite electronic gadget? An iPad? Video game? TV? How many gadgets does your family use? Would you believe that the average home has 24 electronic products! Do you ever think about what happens to these gadgets when you are done with them? When you stop using them and are ready to dispose of these products, they are sometimes known as electronic waste, or “e-waste.”
WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH OUR OLD ELECTRONICS?
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Don’t trash them. First, we should never throw e-waste in the trash! Even the small stuff like phones or batteries shouldn’t go in the trash. There are some toxic (dangerous) chemicals in these products that don’t belong in the trash. It’s bad for our environment, plus it means throwing away valuable metals that can be recycled.
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Pass them on for reuse. Sometimes you have something that still works, but you don’t use it any more. But somebody else might use it. The best thing to do is to give it to someone else who can keep using it (only if your parents say it’s ok.) If you don’t find a family member or friend who wants it, you can often donate it to a charity in your community.
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Recycle them. If you can’t find someone who wants to use your old gadget, then you can recycle it. You probably already recycle newspapers or bottles or cans from your house. Electronics can be recycled, too.
Choose three electronic devices in your household. Find out the average lifespan of each, what happens to these devices once they pass their useful life, and whether they can be recycled in whole or part.
Before Donating or Recycling Your Used Electronics
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For your computer or laptop, consider upgrading the hardware or software instead of buying a brand new product.
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Delete all personal information from your electronics.
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Remove any batteries from your electronics, they may need to be recycled separately.
WHAT ABOUT ALL THIS OTHER STUFF?
We live in a consumer culture that bombards us daily with advertisements
and enticements to buy the latest whatever-it-is, from cell phones and
tablet computers to games, movies, and shoes. Many of us buy more “stuff”
than we need.
One part of living greener is learning to tell the difference between essential
needs and desirable wants. Eliminating unnecessary “stuff” from your life is
easier when you consider every new purchase in terms of momentary “want” versus true “need.” If too much “stuff” is cluttering your home, plan a family project to identify the possessions your family no longer needs. Individually, go through closets and drawers. Together, sift through the garage, basement, attic, or other common areas.
The key to paring down clothes is to look at each piece of clothing and ask yourself how long ago you last wore the item. Does it still fit? Is it comfortable? Are you ever likely to put it on again? Does it have sentimental value? Your answers will help you decide what to keep and what to put on the discard pile.
Make your life less complicated and cluttered by recycling or repurposing those things that are simply gathering dust. While you are at it, you might want to reorganize your closets and drawers so you know where everything is. Thinking thriftily and treading more lightly are important as you start to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Box up or bag your reusable items. Your donations will be welcome at Goodwill stores, The Salvation Army, women’s shelters, and various local nonprofit organizations. If you have items you want to sell, consider having a garage or yard sale. Recycle, repurpose, or donate items that don’t sell. As a Scout, you should make
conscious choices about the stuff that you own, have to
store, take care of, and use.
FOR EVERYONE:
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Go through your room and find:
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15 items you can give away
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15 items you can throw away (or recycle/reuse!)
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15 items you can put away (in storage)
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FOR SCOUTS BSA / VENTURING YOUTH DOING SUSTAINABILITY MERIT BADGE:
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Keep a log of the “stuff” your family purchases (excluding food items) for two weeks. In your log, categorize each purchase as an essential need or a desirable want.
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Discuss how having too much “stuff” affects you, your family, and your community. Include the following: the financial impact, time spent, maintenance, health, storage, and waste. Include in your discussion the practices that can be used to avoid accumulating too much “stuff.”
HAVE A FAMILY MEETING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY
Now that you've learned all about sustainability, have another family meeting.
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Discuss what your family has learned about what it means to be a sustainable citizen. Talk about the behavioral changes and life choices your family can make to live more sustainably.
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Discuss how living by the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your daily life helps promote sustainability and good stewardship.
SWIM TO THE DIVE IN THEATER!
Take the suggested route to the Dive In Theater to watch an educational documentary on sharks, and so much more!
Head to the Dive In Theater
YOU ARE HERE
Sustainability Shore
Go back to the campground