Kamilo Beach is some of Hawai'i's most ecologically unique, and debris ridden, coastline. The remote locale is home to the legendary Green Sand Beach and over 40 different native coastal plants, something no other coastline in the main Hawaiian Islands can boast. A few years ago, I volunteered for a beach clean-up at Kamilo Point with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund. We were briefed on the extent of the marine debris we would find, but nothing could have prepared me for the copious amount of plastic that littered the majestic coast.
I sat in a hole no less than six feet deep, filling my seventeenth trash bag with plastic chotchkies that had traveled from as far as the continental U.S., Japan and China. I found action figures of every shape, color and size: Barbie, Playmobil, G.I. Joe, Power Rangers, My Little Pony. I made a promise to myself and to the Earth that I would never partake in the plastic-loving purchasing habits of the typical American parent.
If my daughter wants to play with plastic, she is going to play with this plastic marine debris.
Having a child in the contemporary U.S. is a lesson in mitigating excess. It starts while baby is in the belly: baby showers rife with plastic diapers, plastic toys, plastic bottles and pacifiers. Once baby is born, it's nearly impossible to find a bouncer, playpen or stroller made from anything other than plastic. And the killer, most items are designed to have a single-use life of no more than six months. Not to mention, the developmental and health disorders associated with petroleum derived plastic products is also an issue worth investigating.
After the brief period of a plastic toy's eternal existence heaped in a pile in the corner of the nursery, where does it go?
When we toss out our plastic products, they most likely end up preserved in landfills, or even worse, in waterways that eventually flow into the ocean. From there, strong currents can carry plastic debris thousands of miles across oceans, washing up on foreign shores or becoming part of the marine food chain as they degrade into small pieces over time, yet are never able to fully biodegrade, remaining forever in the web of life. Kamilo Beach, literally meaning the twisting of ocean currents, is a perfect example of the ubiquitous plastic-toy problem.
Bill Gilmartin, of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund, first discovered Kamilo Point's extensive shoreline debris back in 2001 when he heard that a monk seal pup was born there (the first in recent history). Since 2003, the Fund has been conducting routine clean-ups along the 10-mile stretch of beach, removing over 130 tons of plastic and marine debrisÐthat's over 10, 40-foot Matson shipping containers. And when plastic ends up along Hawai'i's shoreline, the consequences are ecologically devastating. Birds and marine mammals mistake brightly colored plastic as food resulting in internal injury, intestinal blockage and eventually starvation. Monk seals and turtles that rely on our beaches to nest and give birth are quickly losing habitat to the growing mass of debris.
Unfortunately, the National Research Council predicts that marine debris will likely worsen in the 21st century. As conscious mothers and fathers, what can we do to stem the tide of plastic products that characterize early childhood parenting? For one, we need to speak with our purchasing power and stop buying plastic products. Next, we must encourage our friends and loved ones to do the same. Declare your house and your child's toy chest as a plastic-free zone; doing so is not only political, it's pedagogical. When my best friend threw me a plastic-free baby shower, people were oddly curious why we wanted to parent sans plastic. It gave us the opportunity to share with them what the broader environmental implications of our culture's plastic loving ways.
The first step to initiate change in your household is education. B.E.A.C.H., Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii, is a non-profit, volunteer organization concerned with bringing awareness and solutions to the problem of marine debris and litter on Hawai'i's beaches. Take the high road and pick up potential marine debris when you are outdoors with your progeny and make sure you explain to them why it is important to do so. Children learn by doing and you are their best example.
In addition, there are a myriad of non-plastic playtime alternatives: cloth and wood toys made from recycled and eco-friendly materials. Seek out local retailers that offer more sustainable choices for children's products as opposed to the big name, national brand stores that offer no alternatives to plastics. And don't forget about simple, household items like wooden spoons, pots and pans and every child's favorite, the cardboard box.
Encourage your children to play outdoors and engage creatively with their environment. This will not only foster a child who is more likely to respect the Earth, but it also builds a sense of wonder, imagination and adventure. And if your kid must have the latest plastic play toy that all the other kids are bringing to play-group, try to purchase it second hand. Not only are you reusing, but also diverting another plastic toy package from the waste stream. You'll not only be saving money, you'll be saving Hawai'i's marine ecosystems from present-day plastic overload.
To volunteer to restore Kamilo Point to its natural beauty contact: kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com