PROJECTS
Click on the locations above and follow Waves Not Plastic around the world.
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Youth Outreach
Children's education is our top priority.
Waves Not Plastic and Freedom Three Publishing team up to publish childrens books
Morocco, Africa
Educate local ocean enthusiasts
Morocco possess an amazing population of second generation surfers.
Their warm and welcoming personalities combined with their love for the ocean and surfing, provide access to a valuable resource and partnership.
Inspire Traveling Surfers​
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International travelers love to visit the beautiful country of Morocco.
Comfortable weather, perfect surf, and the amazing hospitality shared by the locals draws thousands of surfers every year.
Countless days are spent surfing world class waves while an unsightly amount of plastic washes upon the shores.
Why not return the stoke from perfect waves and help our oceans? After surfing all morning, spend that next hour after lunch waiting for the tide to change and pitch in.
Beach Cleanup
A primary objective of WavesNotPlastic.org is to organize and manage beach cleanups in impacted areas. With the support and assistance of Moroccan Surf Adventures we have applied resources in Morocco, Africa, to create community involvement and assist in cleaning our shorelines.
Water Purification and Avoiding Single Use Plastic Bottles
Traveling to a far off destination and unsure about the drinking water? Single use water bottles suck and really stack up.
Even if the surf is small you can still find ways to play in the water. Waves Not Plastic .org in action! Two separate purification systems showcased in the video to the right, both no larger then a reusable canteen - both carry on approved. No chemicals needed!
Making a difference at camp with Moroccan Surf Adventures.
Nicaragua, Central America
Outreach and Education
As an organization, our primary goal is to educate and encourage individuals to get involved and make a difference. The first thing that I noticed in Nicaragua was a young generation of surfers with a passion for the ocean.
A unique correlation was that the livelihood of their families depended on the ocean environment. From fisherman to small business owners, the success of their careers was directly affected by the health of the ocean.
However, I also noticed a major problem. These same
individuals who love spending time surfing in the ocean were not doing a good job of taking care of this precious resource. Garbage was thrown into creeks that directly feed into the ocean. Waste was discarded on beaches and left for the tide to wash it out to sea.
These bad habits were not acted upon out of a dislike for the ocean, they were due to a lack of education and understanding on the harmful effects of pollution and plastic in the natural environment.
Similar to our work in Northern Africa, an education platform was developed and shared with these local ocean enthusiasts. The solution: find a common platform that inspires these individuals to make a difference. The answer was simple. SURFING!
Beach Cleanup and Youth Surf Contest
Learning can be fun, and what better way to teach surfers than to go surfing? Our education and outreach program picked up speed in Nicaragua by hosting a beach cleanup and surf contest for the local kids. Waves Not Plastic produced a Surf Contest at Remanso beach that kicked off with both locals and traveling surfers participating in a beach cleanup. The event was a success and the message was clear, "Do what you love and give back along the way."
The kids hit the beach to clean things up and then hit the water to showcase the incredible talent of Nicaraguan surfers. Everyone left the beach that day with something special, including first place finisher Diego and his new surfboard, compliments of Used Surfboards Hawaii.
"I will never forget this special experience and the stoke that these young kids shared for the ocean. While surfing a few days later with some of the kids that participated in the event, a young surfer paddled up to me, pulled a piece of plastic out of his pocket that he had collected from the water and handed it to me with a huge smile on his face. "
Jeff Lenore
Founder / CEO, Waves Not Plastic .org
Beach Cleanup and Sunset Yoga
We all have something in this world that we are passionate
about. For us at Waves Not Plastic .org it's the ocean. Whether you enjoy surfing, sailing, fishing, swimming, or just relaxing on the beach, we all have a responsibility to take care of our environment. The key is to find an activity that inspires others and harness that energy to reach a common goal.
While working in Nicaragua we met an incredible group of individuals who shared the same passion for the environment as we do. We were fortunate to team up with the girls at Zen Yoga and Buddha's Garden to coordinate a beach cleanup and sunset yoga event.
The backdrop was incredible and the event was enlightening.
We targeted a stretch of beach in a highly visited tourist area to educate young travelers on the effect that they have on the environment and encourage them to make changes.
It is important to educate travelers around the world, that the countless water bottles consumed daily and the large volume of single use items do not vanish with them when they depart from their vacation. Their lasting impact greatly affects these coastal communities for years to come and if we wish to enjoy these exotic locations in the future, then change must occur.
After spending an afternoon cleaning up a polluted beach in the resort town of San Juan Del Sur, we spread our yoga mats out on the sand and participated in a free yoga class led by our good friend Bridget, of Buddah's Garden.
You don't need to be a surfer to be an important team member of Waves Not Plastic.
Find something that you're passionate about and make a difference.
Namaste!
california, north america
Waves not plastic and friends
California is our home. It's where we grew up surfing. Fortunately, California possesses an incredible wealth of environmental organizations that are currently operating in the Golden State. One of our favorite projects at Waves Not Plastic is to assist these organizations in protecting and healing ocean environments.
Our platform in California consists of developing an education and outreach program. With the assistance of our friends we have teamed up with some outstanding organizations to make a difference in our communities.
Click the logo links to see what our friends are up to.
California Coastal Cleanup Day
Ocean Beach, San Francisco CA
Our mission is to bring awareness to plastic pollution through passion! Fortunately we have a few friends who don't mind getting stoked. The team at Waves Not Plastic joined our friends at San Francisco Surfrider and some incredible local organizations to produce a beach cleanup focused around a fun event.
Join Waves Not Plastic as we support the California Coastal Commission in celebrating California Coastal Day. We will be hitting the beach to produce a fun-filled afternoon focused around another great beach cleanup. Bring your friends as we enjoy surfing, yoga, and a day of fun on the beach.
monterey Bay Aquarium - Pollution Prevention Summit
Waves Not Plastic is joining forces with our friends at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for an interactive summit with an educational focus. Our goal is to prepare and motivate teachers to be part of the plastic pollution solution!
Each day, we throw away about 300 million tons of petroleum-based plastic bottles, bags, utensils, packaging and other so-called disposable items. Ironically, these disposable plastics will persist in the environment and travel throughout the global food web virtually forever.
This three-part summit is designed for teachers who are ready to go in-depth into plastic pollution issues and solutions with their students. Sessions will focus on content background into the science behind plastics issues, project ideas for the classroom, and networking.
Sloated - beach cleanup and women's surf showcase
Ocean Beach at Sloat Street, San Francisco CA
Sloated is a one-of-a-kind event in San Francisco, showcasing female surfers, their skills and ability on the dynamic waves of Ocean Beach, San Francisco. Created for women by women, the event aims to celebrate community and diversity in and out of the water. Teams of women surf together in heats and can ride their equipment of choice.
Event Sponsors
http://kinda-fancy.myshopify.com
http://www.thewahineproject.org
Give stoke, get stoke.
At Waves Not Plastic we love the saying, "Give Stoke, Get Stoke." Do you like to have fun on the beach with your friends?
Do what you love and help out along the way. Get creative and get involved.
It's as simple as getting your friends together, cleaning up your favorite beach, and having fun.
Here is your challenge. When you are at the beach, clean things up before or after you get in the water.
Who wants to coordinate the next beach cleanup and bonfire? Party time!