Grant Proposal

Background Information

1. Name of Individual Submitting the Proposal: Linhao Xiong
2. Designation: Senior Student, Department of Environmental Studies, University of California-Santa Cruz.
3. Project Title: Education Program on Recycling Plastics for Water Conservation
4. Amount of Funds Requested: $19,000

Project Summary

Plastic consumption by human beings is inevitable. Plastics are relatively inexpensive, durable, lightweight, and flexible, making them indispensable to human beings. Sadly, after using, the plastics are disposed into our waters as waste. There is an estimation that ocean plastic waste pollution is about 8 million tons. Our domestic waters are not left behind as they are as well polluted though not yet quantified. Even without quantification, the impacts of plastic waste are just as detrimental as those observed in large water bodies. Plastic Pollution is a threat to human and animal health, food quality and safety contribute to global warming. The project aims to identify how conservation of water is effectively achievable in Santa Cruz, , by recycling plastics through community education.

Recycling and reusing are the most effective actions to reduce environmental damage to local water. Recycling plastic involves processing synthetic waste into useful products while reusing means using a plastic product more than once. The education will emphasize the effectiveness of recycling plastics to avoid water pollution that affects animals in water habitats and human beings. Reusing plastic materials will save people some money. The plastics recycled can be processed into useful products that can be a source of income. There is an expectation that water free from contamination of plastics will improve people’s health (Blettler et al., 2017). The residents’ engagement will be through practising the various ways of recycling and reusing plastics for economic use and the safety of the marine species. Attainment of water bodies free from plastic pollution is the primary goal of this project study.

Proposal Narrative

Statement of the Problem

The greatest problem affecting the marine environment is plastic pollution. There is an increasing global concern about the effects of plastic in water habitats. Further, there has been a need to raise public awareness and come up with mechanisms to reduce water pollution. The amount of plastic waste in the US is surging in recent decades. Plastic waste contributes to around 13.2 per cent (35,370 tons) of all waste generated in the US in 2012 compared to 0.4 per cent (1,072 tons) in 1960. (Lechner et al., 2014). In light of this, there is a need to address the problem to save the ecosystems. The most visible impact is that the marine species ingest these plastics, suffocate them, cause infections and injuries, and reduce their ability to swim. The marine wildlife consumes plastic waste mistaking it for prey, eventually starving to death as stomachs are full of plastics. Marine bacteria also spread disrupting the ecosystem. Contaminants are also spread to human beings when they consume these water species. Plastic also causes climate change. Reducing plastic Pollution on water ecosystems through the recycling of plastics is an option in eliminating the problem. The proposed waste management through recycling projects is crucial in minimizing Pollution by plastics.

The Coalition of supervisors in Santa Cruz has shown a burning desire to ban the water bottles made of plastics (Ibarra, 2019). Hence, the sale of bottle facilities in county centres explains why the plastics have been a significant issue in Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz supervisors, therefore, are the primary reason why pollution by plastic waste should be attended. In fact, according to Ibarra (2019), Leopold John a district supervisor agrees that pollution by plastics is real and requires to be worked on. Although Santa Cruz has in the past tried to eliminate the use of single plastic bags as well as products made of polystyrene, McAllister (2019) says that the amount of plastic and litter pollution has continued.

The majority of plastic Pollution mainly occurs in water environments at around 13 per cent. Although plastic waste may not be the only means of polluting waters, the harm it does is high compared to other pollutants. The recycling process should serve to reduce plastics in water ecosystems and ensure that the water is safe for human uses and the water animals in California. Both administrators and environmentalists, recognize the health hazards and risks due to plastic Pollution. People in Santa Cruz through the media and also observing are becoming aware of the same. Despite recycling of plastics being important in water environments, there is a possibility of turning plastics into useful products that may be a source of revenue. (Blettler et al., 2017)

Specific Objective

To raise awareness and the current response to water conservation in California

Methods and Schedule

The following activities of the sustainable recycling of plastics in water environments will involve two components: community outreach along with the development of a feasibility report.

Community Outreach Activities

Environmental Education Workshops and actual cleaning

The educational element of sustainable recycling of plastics will be achievable in two dimensions: extensive training and minor training. The former will target adults, and school tours will target youths to create awareness on the importance of plastic recycling. The community outreach design offers awareness in addition to education on the significance of sustainable solid waste disposal practices and collecting essential data of the project. Students will be requested to complete an essay on sustainable waste management techniques during minor training, and the owner of the winning essay will be the ambassador of the project. The ambassador will represent the project under various capacities to governmental organizations, NGOs, schools and in their community.

Through the assistance of the trained members among willing volunteers, there will be marking water environments blighted by plastics for cleaning by members of the community. The clean-up exercise will improve the quality of water that will translate to the health of the community members in Santa-Cruz. Further, the activity design is to inspire a conscience attitude of environmental responsibility. In each workshop, participants will sign-up for a to-be scheduled community clean-up exercise. To identify the locations for clean-up, they will look into the community’s needs and the number of participants. The activity plan will include transportation offered to volunteers to travel to different locations daily. That will permit the group to work more efficiently and cost-effectively. Additionally, incentives would be provided per clean-up day (Blettler et al., 2018).

In Santa Cruz, areas such as the Beach Boardwalk, Roaring Camp Railroads, the Municipal Wharf, Natural Bridges State Beach, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, and Capitola Village, recycling machines will be available. Recycling machine services will call for advanced knowledge and skills to use the machine and produce the products. Therefore, there will be a need for the selection of individuals to guide this project. The will be earlier call for suggestions for those with recycling ideas. Individuals will directly be trained in established two class hours a day, for 14 days by individuals who have ideas on what plastics can be recycled into.

The skills attained will be utilized to make better use of the plastics other than the normal disposal method that people normally use. Potential sites for the collection of plastic solid in major water environments will be identifiable by high traffic levels and environmental effect location in Santa-Cruz. This recycling pilot design is to confine all the plastics and other specific solid waste material for research and development (Lechner et al., 2014).

Feasibility Study

This element of the project aims to objectively, as well as logically uncover the strengths and weaknesses of a recycling-based production facility along with prospects and threats s presented by the water environment, resources needed to perform, and eventually opportunities for success (Lechner et al., 2014).

Evaluation Criteria and Process

Many monitoring and assessment tools will assess the degree of attainment of every activity. The tools will further foresee the efficiency and effectiveness of the project and the effect in the community. They will comprise planning models, monitoring charts and graphs, activity reports, and a respondent feedback survey. According to Sivan (2011), feedback on carried out surveys helps evaluate the experience gained; thus, adjusting on the performance. Graph and charts will represent the data the rate of conservation; hence, making rationale visuals on the performance. Also, an explanation of illustrations will through frequent reports made after every month. It is through the evaluated report that they will give feedback.

Minimal Finances Budgeted

Timelines

References

Blettler, M.C.M., Abrial, E., Khan, F.R., Sivri, N., &Espinola, L.A. (2018) Freshwater plastic pollution: Recognizing research biases and identifying knowledge gaps. Water Research,       143(2018), 416-424, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2018.06.015

Blettler, M.C.M., Ulla, M.A., Rabuffetti, A.P., &Garrelo, N. (2017). Plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems: macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a floodplain lake.      Environ Monit Assess 189(581), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6305-8

Cable, R.N., Beletsky, D., Beletsky, R., Wigginton, K., Locke, B.W., &Duhaime, M.B. (2017).  Distribution and Modeled Transport of Plastic Pollution in the Great Lakes, the  World’s largest freshwater Resource. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 5(45), doi:    10.3389/fenvs.2017.00045.

Lechner, A., Keckeis, H., Lumesberger-Loisl, F., Zens, B., Krusch, R., Tritthart, M., Glas, M.,      & Schludermann, E. (2014). The Danube so colourful: A potpourri of plastic litter outnumbers fishlarvae in Europe’s second-largest river. Environmental Pollution,    188(2014), 177-181, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2014.02.006.

McAllister, T. (2019). More Environmental Protections Considered for Santa Cruz Co.  Retrieved from https://patch.com/california/santacruz/more-environmental-protections-considered-santa-cruz-co

Ibarra, N. (2019). Santa Cruz County moves to curb plastic waste but holds off on most aggressive proposals. Retrieved from https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2019/08/06/santa-cruz-county-moves-to-curb-plastic-waste-but-holds-off-on-most-aggressive-proposals/

Sivan, A. (2011). New perspectives in plastic biodegradation. Biotechnology, 22, 422-426.