Tips for Reducing Marine Debris
- Never discard fishing line, Styrofoam, plastics, cigarette butts or any other trash into the water. Plastics, Styrofoam and cigarette butts take a long time to break down in the marine environment, and are harmful to seabirds and other marine creatures.
- Keep several litter bags aboard and discard full ones at the marina dumpster or in your home rubbish.
- Minimize the chance of trash accidentally flying overboard by reducing the amount of trash you bring on board. Buy products that use less packaging. Remove additional packaging from products before you take them onto your boat. When trash accidentally falls overboard, go back and get it (if it is safe to do so).
- Use reusable containers whenever possible. Try to buy in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging you need to discard. Choose products sold in recycled and recyclable containers.
- Recycle paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, and fishing line whenever possible, and encourage marinas to offer recycling facilities.
Laws Regarding Marine Debris
- U.S. Coast Guard regulations prohibit dumping of plastic refuse, and garbage mixed with plastic, into any waters. These restrictions apply to all U.S. vessels where ever they operate (except waters under the exclusive jurisdiction of a State), and any foreign vessels operating in U.S. waters out to and including the Exclusive Economic Zone (200 miles). Grants for recycling facilities.
- It is illegal to dump plastic, dunnage, lining, and packing materials that float and any garbage except dishwater/greywater/fresh fish parts inside three miles from shore, in U.S lakes, rivers, bays and sounds and anywhere on the Great Lakes no matter how far from shore.
