Battin' Cleanup

By Amy Ricard, Communications and Policy Associate

Last week Save The Bay launched its 4th annual list of Bay Trash Hot Spots in anticipation of Coastal Cleanup Day to raise awareness about the trash problem in the Bay and to recruit volunteers to Coastal Cleanup events throughout the region.

This year, we put the spotlight on plastic bags; and even used last year's Coastal Cleanup Day data to help us determine the ten locations around the Bay where volunteers removed the most plastic bags. Not only are these ten spots choked with bag pollution, but they are indicative of a larger problem in the Bay. Plastic bags are ubiquitous -- literally, they are everywhere. And since they are so light and flimsy, they are easily picked up by the wind and blown into our storm drains and creeks, and eventually to our Bay and ocean where they harm wildlife, degrade habitat and spoil our quality of life.

Each year Save The Bay hosts several cleanup events and this year was no exception. We had teams out at three sites: Candlestick Park in San Francisco (one of our hot spots), Coyote Creek in Milpitas (also a hot spot) and Eden Landing in Hayward. Volunteers came out in droves -- 200 in total -- to help clean up the Bay. They were rewarded with an absolutely amazingly beautiful day and the gratification of a good, hard days work.

Here are the numbers:

Candlestick Park - 109 volunteers; 2,000 lbs of trash and recyclables
Eden Landing - 45 volunteers; a 20 yard dumpster and two truck beds of trash and recyclables
Coyote Creek - 46 volunteers; 450 lbs of trash and recyclables

And the latest from the California Coastal Commission, which oversees all Coastal Cleanup Day events for the entire state, is this: With 65% of the cleanup sites reporting, the statewide count stands at 66,550 volunteers, which should approach the event goal of 70,000 volunteers. Those volunteers picked up 819,394 pounds of trash and an additional 89,899 pounds of recyclable materials, for a total of 909,294 pounds. They expect to exceed 1,000,000 pounds of trash when all the totals are in. Not too shabby for three hours worth of work.

Save The Bay wants to thank all the volunteers in the Bay Area and statewide who donated their time to cleaning up our waterways, protecting habitat and wildlife.

If you are interested in protecting and restoring the shoreline year round, visit www.saveSFbay.org/restore.

VM Ware "runs" up the total

By Natalie La Van, Restoration Volunteer Coordinator

The fog is setting in and I’m absolutely freezing while standing next to San Francisco’s most iconic landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge. I’m not alone. There are over 100 other people here with me from around the globe -- I know this by the myriad accents and languages I hear floating through the atmosphere. And these people are ready.

I have never been a runner myself, so I’m just sitting back watching the largest number of fabulously fit forty-somethings in almost obscenely short shorts with pure glee! They are poised on the edge of their starting line waiting for that moment when they are set loose and the pure rush of adrenaline is theirs to do with as they please. Oh yeah and did I mention that these righteous runners are practically throwing money at me from the bottom of their sweet Nike’d soles? Heaven!!!

This is not just any run, my friends; this is the VM World Fun Run. Every year, the virtualization mogul VM Ware holds a conference for their international and local markets called VM World. This year they decided to give some thing back. When Craig Williams -- the leader of this effort -- started receiving emails from participants interested in going for a run on the world renowned Golden Gate Bridge and wanting him to suggest a trail, he saw this small request as an opportunity for those weary conference-goers to get out, stretch their legs and see the sights our lovely Bay has to offer. Being a champion of the environment himself, and knowing the commitment Palo Alto-based VM Ware has to the local ecosystem and the care their clientele has for the entire planet, Craig decided to bring this event full circle by donating the entry fees to a local charity.

Remember I said they were practically throwing money at me?! With only a shirt and a beer to entice them back to the finish line, each group took off into the blustery twilight to enjoy the view of the sun setting gently over the ocean with the tapping of tennies on the Golden Gate Bridge singing in their ears.

My hands were cold but my heart was warmed when, after the run, even more people who were inspired by our lovely Bay, emptied their bitsy britches of every dollar they had to support the efforts of Save The Bay. All in all, the VM World runners and TrainSignal raised about $2,300 dollars!!

Save The Bay will use their donations to continue restoring the Bay, educating many more future environmental stewards, removing trash and repopulating our shores with native plants and wildlife.

It is the simple efforts of people like Craig Williams -- taking a small request and turning it into a big event that keeps me toasty during those brisk early San Francisco evenings. And those diminutive drawers don’t hurt either!

Is there a Hot Spot near you?

Have you checked out our Bay Trash Hot Spots yet? Click on the link below to see our interactive map, watch our clever two-minute video, take action and sign up to volunteer!

Bay blighted by bags

By Allison Chan, Policy Intern

It’s a sunny weekend morning and you decide to head out to do some hiking along the Bay shoreline. As you stroll through the brush and marshlands, you commune with nature, you enjoy the sprawling bay views… and you encounter scattered plastic bags wedged between rocks and clinging to vegetation?

Oh yes. Plastic bag pollution is a growing threat to Bay habitat and wildlife. In 2008, Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers in the Bay Area removed over 184 tons of waste from the Bay, including over 26,000 plastic bags! Plastic bags are among the most harmful, ubiquitous and preventable types of pollution. Not only does this pollution smother wetlands and harm wildlife, it negatively impacts our recreational experience in and around the Bay. Isn't it time we took a stand against plastic bag pollution?

To address this growing problem and to encourage Bay area cities and residents to find a solution, today Save The Bay launched its fourth annual list of Bay Trash Hot Spots. Using data collected by volunteers during last year’s Coastal Cleanup Day, we have listed the ten sites where the most plastic bags were removed. On just one single day, volunteers picked up anywhere from 384 bags at Ryder Park in San Mateo County to a staggering 7,497 bags at the Albany-Berkeley-Emeryville shoreline in Alameda County. But I’m sure most of us agree that one bag in the Bay is a bag too many.

It's time to really do something about plastic bag litter and pollution. For the past 15 years, California has made a concerted effort to promote plastic bag recycling, but with disappointing results. Less than five percent are actually recycled. Plastic bag recycling is cost-prohibitive because there is no market for the plastic film and it is difficult for recycling machinery to handle effectively. And, due to the amazing aerodynamics of plastic bags, even those destined for a recycling plant are easily rerouted by gusts of wind into the streets and, ultimately, into the Bay.

So, what to do? The solution is actually very simple. First and foremost, kick your bag habit! Find some snazzy reusable bags and keep them in your car, in your purse, or by the front door. Second, help round up the bags floating around right now by participating in Coastal Cleanup Day this Saturday, September 19th. I think most of us can squeeze in a few hours to help protect Bay wildlife and make our next experience on the Bay more enjoyable. Finally, speak up! Tell your mayor to support legislation to ban the distribution of free plastic and paper bags. The more cities that reduce plastic bag pollution flowing to the Bay, the healthier our natural treasure will be.

Check out our interactive website to see a map of this year's Hot Spots, photos, video and how to help.