SIX WAYS TO SAVE THE BAYS
Everyday habits can cause serious damage to the environment – but there are simple ways to reduce your impact and be a true friend of the bays.
1. BRING YOUR OWN BAGS
Single-use plastic bags are useful for about 15 minutes, but can pose a threat to the environment for years after you throw them away. Marine life such as sea turtles can easily mistake a floating bag for a tasty jellyfish or other snack. You can reduce your individual impact by switching to reusable bags.
DID YOU KNOW?
Operation SPLASH played a part in passing the plastic bag ban in Nassau County! Read more about this important legislation here.
2. ONE BOTTLE TO REPLACE THEM ALL
in 2021 alone, our volunteers pulled more than 25,000 plastic bottles out of the bays. About 50 billion plastic bottles are purchased in the United States each year, and studies suggest that the global plastic bottle industry results in 8 million tons of plastic waste in the oceans annually. You can bring your total down to zero by using a refillable water bottle!
3. DO GARBAGE DAY THE RIGHT WAY
Do you know which items should go in the garbage or recycling and which ones shouldn’t? Certain plastics and hazardous materials such as aerosols and electronics cannot be recycled in the usual way, and when put out with the regular recyclables they can end up just being disposed as garbage. Become familiar with your town’s sanitation guidelines and special collection schedule to ensure that your trash ends up in the right place.
TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD SANITATION INFORMATION LINKS
4. RETHINK THE FERTILIZER
As you tend to your gardens and yards, be mindful of how you use fertilizer! Excess nutrients from fertilizers such as nitrogen wash into our waterways with the rain and can cause algae blooms, which are detrimental to aquatic ecosystems. The rapid growth of algae and other aquatic plant life can monopolize waterways and reduce the amount of oxygen in the water when it decays. This creates a dangerous habitat for fish and potentially cause them to die off in large numbers. Use fertilizer sparingly and as recommended to protect our environment and all that lives there!
5. KEEP THOSE BALLOONS TIED DOWN
Sometimes protecting wildlife is as easy as keeping balloons tied down at a party. Balloons can cause serious harm to marine animals that mistake them for food or get tangled up in the strings. You can help by properly securing balloons and saying NO to balloon releases.
DON’T BE A PARTY POOPER – BE A PARTY POPPER
Instead of releasing balloons, pop the and make a wish like a birthday candle!
6. JOIN THE SPLASH CREW!
Become a part of the solution to waterfront pollution by volunteering on a SPLASH cleanup boat or getting involved with at outreach events! Learn more about how you can make a SPLASH here.
