Same story, different day — yet another beach is covered in discarded, single-use plastic.
A recent video taken at Fort Funston Beach in San Francisco has the subreddit r/sanfrancisco doing a double take. What at first looks like regular ocean foam lining the sand is a dense swath of plastic garbage.
As the original poster said, "First thought was ocean foam. Sadly, plastic garbage is up and down the beach."
The video shows the entire stretch of beach covered in crushed water bottles, food wrappers, plastic bags, and more. "Saw 2 fishermen simultaneously catch plastic bags," said the OP.
Plastic waste littering beaches and waterways harms marine life. Sea turtles and birds can mistake plastic for food, filling their stomachs with indigestible debris. Fish get entangled in abandoned fishing nets and plastic packaging, causing injury or restricting movement so they can't feed properly.
Over time, plastic breaks down into tiny microplastics, which also enter the food chain when small land and marine animals consume them. These microplastics then make their way into larger fish, shellfish, and even the salt we harvest for our dining tables.
Scientists are still studying the effects of consuming plastic-contaminated seafood and meat, but leading theories link it to digestive disorders and even poisoning.
Seeing beloved beaches overcome with plastic waste sparks sadness and outrage, but we can channel those feelings into positive action.
Joining local beach clean-ups helps remove plastic from shorelines. As one proactive Redditor commented, "I used a big piece of plastic to pick up the smaller pieces... got about 50 lbs in 15 minutes and barely made a dent."
Reducing everyday plastic use — swapping disposable bottles for reusable ones or saying no to straws — also stops waste before it starts.
When we make these small, money-conscious choices, our actions stack up like Lego blocks into something beautiful. Bit by bit, we build a future of clean beaches and waterways that support life instead of polluting it.
One Redditor suggested, "Maybe high tide brought it up? Saw this happening in Maui."
Another concurred, "Same thing in Bali... felt like I was in a ball pit pushing around all that plastic. It was sad."
But let's not spend too much time wondering how the plastic got there — let's prevent more from entering our oceans in the first place.
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