Luis Garcia, Coastal Programs Capstone Student

Trash Data Breakdown

Humboldt County’s Coastal Cleanup Month, locally organized by the Northcoast Environmental Center, is an annual endeavor that focuses on cleaning up Humboldt County’s coastline while promoting citizen science, coastal stewardship, and environmental awareness.

Coastal Cleanup Month 2023 proved highly successful, with over 393 dedicated volunteers contributing to the cleanup effort, covering over 19.5 miles of polluted coastal areas, and removing approximately 1,559 pounds of trash. Notably, this collective effort resulted in the collection of an estimated 8,372 pieces of trash from various locations, including beaches, parks, trails, and urban areas across northern California.

In our analysis, we categorized the collected pollution into six different groups, with “miscellaneous waste” making up nearly half of the debris. Among miscellaneous waste, an astonishing 51.4 percent was comprised of nails and screws. Nails and screws held the top position as the most found trash items, with a total of 1,731 instances. Most miscellaneous trash, approximately 60 percent, washed up on beach shores across 17 different locations.

Cigarette butts emerged as the second most found trash, with 1,078 instances recorded, constituting 37.5 percent of all urban pollution. The remaining top five waste items collected this year were derived from plastic materials.

Plastic products pose a severe threat to the environment, harming wildlife, contaminating water sources, and contributing to climate change. Fortunately, eco-friendly alternatives to plastic, such as algae and platinum silicone, are available. Algae not only produces oxygen but also serves as a source for creating biodegradable and carbon-neutral products, including bioplastics, insulation, textiles, and water purification. Platinum silicone, a flexible, durable, and heat-resistant synthetic rubber, is used for producing reusable items like food storage bags, baking molds, and straws. These products can be washed and sterilized without leaching harmful chemicals into food or water.

These alternatives to plastic pave the way toward a more sustainable and healthier future. However, it’s crucial to remain mindful of the environmental and social impacts of these alternatives. The most effective approach to reducing plastic pollution is to cut down on our use of plastic and other materials and embrace a culture of reusing and recycling. Addressing plastic pollution is a global challenge that requires collective action and responsibility. Each one of us can contribute to this effort by avoiding single-use plastics, opting for reusable or biodegradable alternatives, practicing proper recycling, and supporting policies and initiatives that promote a circular economy.

Several policies have been developed to promote a circular economy, encouraging businesses to design products with reusability, repairability, and recyclability in mind. Incentives for sustainable practices can also be offered. Some examples of these policies include:

1. Green Business Certification
2. Innovation and Recycling Hubs
3. Microplastic Reduction Initiative.

In Humboldt, California, several local and state-level policies and programs are already in place to prevent, reduce, and manage coastal pollution: 

1. Humboldt County’s General Plan
2. The California Ocean Protection Council
3. The California Coastal Commission.

These policies are essential in preserving the coastal resources of Humboldt County and California. However, nonprofits and grassroot efforts remain important for enacting local, regional, and even national policies and further protecting the environment that continues to be impacted. The NEC was a key influencer in passing the City of Arcata ordinance reducing the use of single-use disposable foodware items and addressing plastic pollution in our community by using years of data collected from Coastal Cleanup Day and other trash cleanup efforts. Zero Waste Humboldt has been working to provide waste reduction solutions across the county since 2011. Surfrider Humboldt has recently been working to enact designations that would help combat the impacts of microplastics along our coastline, in addition to numerous other efforts to protect the health of our coast. Humboldt Waterkeeper remains an active and diligent advocate for the health of our bay. The Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) has been working on behalf of our coastal region since 1977. The Marine Protected Area (MPA) Collaborative Network recently launched its Climate Initiative in order to foster discussions and actions around climate change. And in September three federally-recognized California Tribal Nations announced the first-ever ocean protection area designated by Tribal governments in the United States, the Yurok-Tolowa-Dee-ni’ Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area (IMSA).

Such efforts for coastal protection and stewardship are all supported by volunteer participation and citizen science data collection. With statewide data collection and international participation for Coastal Cleanup Day and Month, the NEC remains hopeful that citizen science may one day lead to national changes such as the Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations enacted in Canada this past June, 2023. For local community members interested in actively participating in the preservation of our natural amenities for future generations, volunteering opportunities are available at Northcoast Environmental Center along with numerous other organizations locally working on behalf of the environment.