San Francisco Baykeeper

Since 1989, Baykeeper has advocated for the health of San Francisco Bay.

San Francisco Baykeeper uses science and the Clean Water Act of 1972 to enforce anti-spillage regulations with their Sick of Sewer campaign. They focus on stormwater management, climate change adaptation plans, vessel pollution prevention, wetland protection and marine and wildlife health. Read more about Baykeeper’s anti-pollution successes and get involved in their volunteer programs, including counting birds.

 Seabin Project

Our friends at the Seabin Project designed and produced an automated rubbish bin that catches floating rubbish, oil, plastics, fuel and detergents. an automated  This seabin is designed for floating docks in the water of marinas, private pontoons, inland waterways, residential lakes, harbors, water ways, ports and yacht clubs.

Their number one  goal is to rid the ocean of pollution – one marina at a time. Marinas, ports and yacht clubs are the perfect place to start helping clean our oceans because there are no huge open ocean swells or storms inside the marinas -its a relatively controlled environment.

March 2016 was an exciting month for Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski, co-founders of the Seabin Project, when La Grande Motte, France, announced its new collaboration, becoming the first port (via  Poralu Marine) to join with them in developing the Seabins and implementing a communication program to raise awareness of the dangers of plastics pollution in our oceans and its consequences for wildlife and marine flora, as well as for human health.

This partnership will strive to create Seabins from the most sustainable materials and processes available and have the lowest carbon footprint possible in the production of the Seabins by means of alternative materials and processes. By manufacturing in the countries of installations, they will reduce shipping costs and support local economies. Check out how it all works.

 Be Sewer Smart – ABAG

ABAG’s (Association of Bay Area Governments) PLAN group launched their Be Sewer Smart program in 2005 to prevent overflows into the street and stormwater runoff, which end up in the San Francisco Bay. ABAG provides an educational campaign for municipalities, sewer districts, treatment plant operators and homeowners to prevent sewer system overflows and protect our waterways.

Here are five sewer smart tips for protection of your home and the SF Bay:

1. Maintain your sewer system – have a sewer smart inspection
2. Consider installing a backflow prevention device in your cleanout
3. Do not put “flushables” down the toilet – they belong in the garbage
4. Do not put Fats Oils & Grease (FOG) down your drain
5. Choose and plant your trees carefully so they do not invade your lateral

Learn more about what you can do.

Save the Bay

Save the Bay strives to preserve, protect and restore the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento/San Joaquin Estuary as a healthy and biologically diverse ecosystem.

Runoff pollution from the streets—plastic bags, Styrofoam food containers, cigarette butts–washes into storm drains and flows through creeks, discharging into the Bay untreated. Stormwater runoff is the single largest source of Bay pollution. Save the Bay advocates to stop this pollution at its source! They fight reckless shoreline development and lead a region-wide effort to re-establish 100,000 acres of tidal marsh that are essential for a healthy Bay. Volunteers work with their science teams to restore the shoreline. Watch this video and get inspired.

Three things you can do and learn:

1. Support plastic bags & Styrofoam bans
2. Stomp out cigarette butt pollution – find out how
3. Volunteer to plant native plants and restore the shoreline marshes

Learn more