Rise Above Plastics is a starting point for raising awareness of the problems that plastic brings to our oceans. Every bit of plastic ever produced still exists today and much of it ends up in the ocean – as evidenced by the infamous flotillas in the Pacific Northwest Gyre. RAP endeavors to spur you to action – at home, at the store, at City Hall.

Central to our campaign is an attempt to kill the demand for non-necessary plastics at the source, by encouraging the packaging. We aim to transcend (rise above!) the knee-jerk acceptance of single-use plastic bottles or ubiquitous plastic shopping bags (or other “do-dad” plastic junk created for new, introduced “needs”) when better robust, reusable and sustainable options exist.

Here are some numbers:

• Californians are issued 600 plastic bags EVERY SECOND. Most are used only one time and then discarded.
• The amount of petroleum required to produce single use water bottles, filter the water, transport and dispose of these UN-necessities could be represented with each bottle being quarter-filled with petroleum.

The easy targets are the bottles and bags – we are attempting to find ways to shift the general public away from use of these items through awareness and education, legislation and other innovative methods to be developed by our members. This is where we hope to activate and energize you – bring on your ideas, initiatives and impetus!

Join the Surfrider Foundation’s RAP campaign and make a difference on our essential marine environment. Check out the blog here.

Rise Above Plastic – Plastic Kills! from Surfrider Foundation on Vimeo.

For more information:
Jeff Coffman, jeffc@skindeepmed.com

Volunteer today!

RAP (Rise Above Plastics) Happenings – 2011

June 8th, 2011

RAP meetings are being held every first Thursday at the Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach at 6pm.  http://shorebreakhotel1-px.trvlclick.com/ Everyone is welcome to come and listen and / or participate.

RAP is attending all Huntington Beach city council meetings.  We are working with The Pegasus School of Huntington Beach and Huntington Beach High School to ban plastic bags and Styrofoam in our city.  Go to http://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/government/elected_officials/city_council/ for more details. The city council usually meets the first and third Monday of the month 6pm.  Come watch or speak to the council to let them know “single Use Plastic Bags And Styrofoam Are Not OK.”  Check the website for changes to the schedule.

RAP will be holding our first “Day Without A Bag” on June 10th from 4-7pm. This event’s goal is to educate consumers shopping at a large chain store on the reasons single use bags are bad for the them, their kids and the environment.  The Albertsons location is 7201 YORKTOWN AVENUE, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 (714) 536-6449.
Harbor clean up in the Newport Bay with our friends at the Pegasus School, Newport Aquatic Center and the Huntington Beach and Newport Beach Chapters.  More info will be coming shortly.

Everyone, we need your help.  Surfrider is a volunteer organization trying to make a difference.  Help us help our community to “Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.     If you have any questions, comments or want to be involved, please contact Jeff Coffman @ jeffc@cleangreentechnologyinc.com