This Summer… Go to the Beach but Leave Your Turtleback and Other Plastics at Home
Would you believe there is a company not only producing plastic products for the beach, but actually promoting them using a photo of an ocean wave sweeping one of their plastic gizmos, filled with a disposable plastic cup, towards the sea?
I wasn’t planning on posting a rant today, as I’m leaving in a few hours for my semi-annual silent meditation retreat, but I got all fired up after I and several friends left comments on Turtleback’s Facebook page explaining how plastic pollutes the ocean and asking the company to reconsider its product materials, as well as marketing images. I would have probably just been satisfied to leave my comment and drop the issue, until I discovered that Turtleback had removed our comments and banned us from further interaction on its page! That kind of censorship from a company is dishonest and irresponsible, regardless of the product in question.
What’s Wrong with Turtleback?
Turtleback is a plastic cup holder meant to keep your beverage container upright on the beach. That in itself is a pretty good idea, no? But there are problems with the current incarnation of this idea.
First, while the Turtleback is made from recycled plastic, that fact doesn’t matter when we are talking about ocean plastic pollution. Recycled plastic is just as lethal to marine animals as virgin resin is. And if swept into the ocean, it will add to the growing plastic pollution problem. It’s not a good idea to bring plastic toys or other plastic gadgets to the beach. You may not intend to leave them behind, but things have a way of being swept away by wind and waves when you least expect it. As one of my Facebook friends wrote, “My girls and I do beach cleanups often and it’s nauseating what gets left behind. Absolutely sickening! If someone doesnt realize that he/she left one single sneaker behind, I’m sure a Turtleback cup is more likely to be left behind.”
To be clear, the Turtleback is only the cup holder, not the cup itself. But that leads me to issue number two: Using an image of a disposable plastic cup to sell your product. I’ve seen these red Solo cups left behind on the beach. In fact, there’s a photo of one in my book!
Third, another Facebook friend mentioned the irony of naming a plastic product meant for the beach after a marine animal that is often harmed by plastic pollution. Many sea turtles mistake plastic for food and have been harmed or killed by it. A recent study of leatherback turtle autopsy records found plastic in one-third of the animals’ GI tracts.
Please ask Turtleback to Rethink Their Product
I dislike thoughtless plastic products, but today I think I dislike censor ship even more. Will you please take a moment to leave a message on Turtleback’s fan page asking the company to redesign the product to be made out of a material other than plastic, and even more important, to stop using images of disposable plastic cups to promote its brand? A stainless steel cup or bottle would be a good choice, since it won’t break like glass and pose a hazard to bare feet.
Next, copy your comment here and let us know what you wrote. Turtleback may delete your comment, but at least it will be preserved here, and we can deliver them to the company en masse.
Other ways to contact the company if you get banned from posting on their Facebook page: Email the owner at ryan@turtlebacks.net or send a message on Twitter.
UPDATE: Turtleback has responded to the criticism with a post of their own. Unfortunately, those of us who left comments cannot respond to their post because we have been banned. Please leave your own comment.
Find Plastic-Free Beach Toys and Dishes
So, what can we bring to the beach instead of plastic toys, buckets, shovels, cups, containers, utensils, and all the many plastic products meant for the beach? For sand castles, how about old metal pots and pans, metal buckets, big metal spoons or garden trowels, stainless steel cups and bottles and foodware, etc. What are your favorite non-plastic items for fun in the sand?
Thanks for sharing. I am going to express my deep concerns to Turtleback for producing plastic toys for the beach.
it is perceptive of you to foresee the dangers of this product. However, as you prove in your post, it isn’t the Turtleback’s fault, but the users who leave them behind. The company is not and should not stop selling a product that they designed and it’s not their fault if consumers are cluttering beaches. Wouldn’t it be wiser and more effective to spread the word to consumers to be careful rather than demand that a company recall their product?
No way. It would be MUCH more effective for the company to make the product out of a less destructive material, to begin with. I addressed this issue in another post last week. Read to the bottom: http://myplasticfreelife.com/2012/05/what-can-environmentalists-learn-from-bad-kitties/
Ack, there are more!?!?! https://unclutterer.com/2012/05/09/unitasker-wednesday-the-kazekup/
Wow. Thanks for the link, and thanks for linking back to this article on the Unclutterer website. I love and hate Unitasker Wednesday. I love that someone is pointing out all these useless single-purpose items, but it also just makes me feel so sad that these things exist. I just left my own comment on her blog.
My comment on Turtleback’s Facebook page:
It seems that your product is marketed for use in the surf at the beach. I worry about the risk of your plastic product, plus plastic cups or glass bottles/aluminum cans being swept out into the ocean. I walked 25 miles along the coast in MD/VA recently, and the amount of plastic trash I encountered was atrocious. I would caution others about buying this product.
Here’s my comment on their Turtleback’s fan page:
‘I understand your intent is to provide people with a useful way to hold their drinks. However, selling a plastic item for use at the beach does not strike me as a good idea at all. I do beach cleanups and the amount of plastic items that wash up on shore or get left behind is truly appalling. It’s unsightly, and worse, marine animals ingest this stuff and can die from it. Please rethink this unnecessary and potentially harmful item.’
This is the contents of the email I sent to the ryan@turtlebacks.com:
From: Danger Lee Kayutak [mailto:dangerleekay@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2012 8:25 PM To: ryan@turtlebacks.net Subject:
To Who it May Concern,
The construction, intended use and marketing of your Turtleback drink holder is at best thoughtless and irresponsible, at worst a malicious disregard for our environment and the animals and people who live in it.
Perhaps you think this language is harsh and judgmental? I would then ask you to take a walk through any park, on any beach or riverbank anywhere is this country but make sure to bring something to collect all the empty plastic soda bottles, candy bar wrappers, and potato chip bags that currently foul our green places and waterways. For every piece of plastic garbage you see bobbing in the ocean there are many more lurking just under the water, too many to accurately count. You have designed a product that, by it’s very nature, is likely to become another piece of plastic garbage. Garbage that will be floating in the ocean long after we are gone, long after our children are gone.
Perhaps you will also say that you have the right to free enterprise and that jobs are at stake. My point of view is that your right to free enterprise ends where our right to have clean, healthy and plastic free places to have fun and enjoy nature begins.
I am also saddened by the fact that you are banning people from voicing this message on your Facebook page, that seems to be the most telling indication of what kind of company you have created.
I will never buy your product and will encourage everyone I know not to buy your product.
Thank you for your time,
Danger Lee Kayutak
And this was his response:
Thank you Danger. Did you have any constructive advice on how to improve our product?
Does anyone have any ideas for him? I can’t think what it could be made out of that is not either impractical or equally environmentally damaging.
I worte this on FB and tried to be kind in hopes that my message will be better received:
This is a nice idea but I would reconsider the plastic material and go with something sustainable and not harmful to animals and ocean plants instead. The turtle logo is really cute so your marketing is on the right track…now the product just needs some extra development!
In Earth On Turtle’s Back the Woman From The Sky had a dream about a tree being uprooted and when she looked through the hole where the tree once was she fall down from the sky. Doves caught her fall but couldn’t put her down because there was no land nothing but water and she didnt have webbed feet like the animals did. All the animals get together to help her and one by one each animal took his or her turn turning to pull earth up to the surface from under water. Every last animal failed.
But it was the muskrat that was determined to the death that she would pull up earth and she did! She came back up to the surface half dead when she realized she had nowhere to put earth.
Turtle came in the mix and instructed her to place earth on his back and that he would bare it. They placed Woman From The Sky on the earth and she began to plant and grow trees, grass, forest, and run rivers and streams alond the earth.
This was the beginning of life.
Read more: http://www.answers.com/Q/Could_you_explain_the_earth_on_turtles_back#ixzz1tx5yzpWJ
In Earth On Turtle’s Back the Woman From The Sky had a dream about a tree being uprooted and when she looked through the hole where the tree once was she fall down from the sky. Doves caught her fall but couldn’t put her down because there was no land nothing but water and she didnt have webbed feet like the animals did. All the animals get together to help her and one by one each animal took his or her turn turning to pull earth up to the surface from under water. Every last animal failed.
But it was the muskrat that was determined to the death that she would pull up earth and she did! She came back up to the surface half dead when she realized she had nowhere to put earth.
Turtle came in the mix and instructed her to place earth on his back and that he would bare it. They placed Woman From The Sky on the earth and she began to plant and grow trees, grass, forest, and run rivers and streams alond the earth.
This was the beginning of life.
So Beth, I see that you’ve been unbanned, but now I’ve been banned. I’m trying to decide if it’s even worth emailing the owner. He really doesn’t seem to get it, but like you, the censorship pisses me off. So, I may still write him, but I think I need to cool off first. And, I wasn’t going to write about this issue, but now that I’ve been banned, I most certainly will be doing so next week. I’ll be sure to link to your post, too.
This is what I posted – kind of borrowed from some earlier posts I agreed with.
A cute product with, no doubt, good intentions on the part of its developers. If you made it out of a renewable biodegradable resource I would actually buy one. Promoting the use of plastic oceanside is no good.
I think you guys need to relax a little instead of assuming that every piece of plastic brought to the beach will be left behind and become marine debris. It is about personal responsibility. My kids have a multitude of plastic beach toys that never get left behind, because I am responsible. We bring reusable, insulated plastic cups for our beverages that are better options than glass (should never be on a beach) or metal (get too hot in the sun. Each cup cost $15 so I am not about to leave it at the beach. We carry in-carry out everything from a beach day.
And please don’t consider me a wacko. I work for a state environmental agency and I coordinate all the statewide beach cleanups each year, so I know my marine debris issues.
I disagree with you, even if the “intention” is not to leave it behind it doesn’t mean that it won’t be. No one even hinted that the majority of people leave things like plastic buckets and plastic bags on the beach, but they get left behind nonetheless.
I disagree with you, just because the intention is not to leave these articles of plastic behind does not mean that they won’t be.
I don’t think very many people who post here are saying that nothing should ever be made out of plastic, but do you honestly see the necessity for this product? Does this product add such benefit to humanity that is is worth the risk?
We honestly need to start asking these questions because once you or I deem this particular item is no longer of any use to use where does it go? It doesn’t really biodegrade and if it’s not in direct sunlight it hardly degrades at all, at least not in our lifetime. Burning it comes with it’s own set of issues as does recycling.
I’m glad you and your family hold on to the plastic you bring to beach, I commend you for it. I am sure you will be passing it all to your children when they leave home because otherwise the plastic toys they have now will end up in a landfill.
I think the majority of people are too relaxed about this issue, including yourself.
I blew it. When I saw their defense I wrote: “I think your product is stupid and wasteful.” That’s why you are a published author, Beth, and I am the person people are afraid to talk to.
Beth, thanks for writing this!! Here are the comments I posted on their “fan” page:
“It seems to me that we have developed our lives, and been conditioned to think we need things that we don’t really need. Turtlebacks is a case-in-point. I understand that it is *just* one company, but there is a horrible cumulative effect from all the companies out there that create these things that are not needed in the first place: ones that have adverse effects on the environment. We need to simplify our lives, by reducing and eliminating the things in it that we can do without. Can I conduct my life happily without this product? Yes, definitely. I know most of us try to make a living in this world, by any means that we can. But contributing to the potential environmental impacts just perpetuates the environmental problems we humans are solely creating. We are the only species causing such environmental degradation, and at the end of the day, why not try to make a profit off of figuring out ways to better this place, than contribute to its associated problems, inadvertently or not. This product does *nothing* to help relieve environmental degradation, and, if anything, causes additional stresses on our fragile planet.
I notice too, the “fans” on this page, or rather the pro-Turtlebacks, seemingly think so singularly. I’m sure you all have the best of intentions of keeping track of your *own* Turtleback, but not everyone has that same mentality, and you can’t rely on everyone to have that same environmental responsibility. There are possibly millions of people that do not have those same intentions, due to ignorance, or straight-up apathy, that litter the beaches, lakes, waterways, parks, and other outdoor places, creating these massive deaths among sea life, and other flora and fauna. Not to mention companies that pollute your precious recycled plastics headed to China for processing that simply fall off container ships into the ocean…because that happens too, people! Even those with the best of intentions create unintended consequences.”
Beth,
I just posted on the turtleback page: ”I planned to write to ask Turtlebacks to use a less harmful product – I’d personally like a wooden or metal one – but, having read so many of the comments above, I wonder what chance our planet has of us changing our mindset in time. Such incredible selfishness from some of your readers!”
Honestly, many of the comments sickened me.
I whole heartedly disagree w censorship of any kind but feel some of you have gone a little overboard here…
We live near the beach; we volunteer w community clean ups as well as w the local aquarium w sea turtle nest identification & marking…
Yet my family still *gasp* takes plastic toys to the beach. It’s about personal responsibility & teaching others to be good stewards of the planet not simply raging the minute you see anything made from plastics…
I tried commenting about how Tim Horton’s Roll Up The Rim contest is encouraging the use a disposable cups and they did the same thing: deleted the post (within seconds) and banned me.
That is so frustrating. If a company stands by their product, they should be able to defend it in public.
I whole heartedly disagree w censorship of any kind but feel some of you have gone a little overboard here…We live near the beach; we volunteer w community clean ups as well as w the local aquarium w sea turtle nest identification & marking…Yet my family still *gasp* takes plastic toys to the beach. It’s about personal responsibility & teaching others to be good stewards of the planet not simply raging the minute you see anything made from plastics…
I agree that we need personal responsibility, but the the ocean is being polluted with plastic faster than we could ever hope to educate everyone about responsible use, and other people’s pollution affects us all, you know? That’s why it frustrates me to see companies promoting disposable plastic at the beach, like this company is. I want them to at least get rid of the red Solo cup in their advertising, which is made from polystyrene, the same kind of plastic as Styrofoam except without the air. It’s pretty toxic stuff.
@Beth Terry – I created an account hopefully that helps w the posting lol
I totally agree w you re: the toxicity & sheer wastefulness.
And yes educating people does take time but seems a better use of energy in the long run.
Just last weekend my girls & I were at the beach and these (obvious) tourists were snorkeling… one man came up to the surface w a glass beer bottle; showed his friends; then turned & tossed it back out into deeper water!!???! You’d better believe I told them when they came out that it would have been just as easy to bring it to any of the dozen + trash cans in the area; instead of tossing it back out to possibly break & wash up shards of glass on the shore where ppl are fishing & swimming!!
They mumbled something about being sorry & not thinking about it…
Now maybe they went home laughing at the crazy lady at the beach but maybe they &/or anyone else that was near by WILL think about it next time…
Plastic is in almost everything we touch; telling people never to use it will close a lot more ears than encouraging responsible use…just my perspective…
I think we need to approach the problem from all angles, and normally I am all about the education. But the images on this company’s FB page were too much, as well as the censorship. Okay, have to get off the computer for the weekend. Just arrived at the retreat center and not actually supposed to be on here. 🙂
Naming it after turtles is in such poor taste and then deleting any dissenting comments and acting as though the commenters are political wackos because they care…sheesh!
Here’s what I wrote:?Turtlebacks I think that the debate on environmental issues is coming up because you are claiming that the product is “eco-friendly.” If you don’t want the debate, please consider changing your advertising.
Here’s what I wrote:?Turtlebacks I think that the debate on environmental issues is coming up because you are claiming that the product is “eco-friendly.” If you don’t want the debate, please consider changing your advertising.
Unable to post my comment on FB. My computer binds up when I click on “Send”. I’d like to say: Plastic and the oceans don’t mix. Turtles and other sealife mistake plastic for food, eat it, and often die. Surely there’s something else you can create that we won’t feel bad about in 100 years. The pieces of cups and holders will still be floating about in the water. Is that a green legacy that your grandchildren will appreciate and be proud of?
I whole heartedly disagree w censorship of any kind but feel some of you have gone a little overboard here…We live near the beach; we volunteer w community clean ups as well as w the local aquarium w sea turtle nest identification & marking…Yet my family still *gasp* takes plastic toys to the beach. It’s about personal responsibility & teaching others to be good stewards of the planet not simply raging the minute you see anything made from plastics…
I don’t even understand why this product is necessary. If I have a drink at the beach, I can just burrow it into the sand to keep it standing up, and if I’m worried about sand getting on the bottom of it, I can nestle it in my beach towel before burrowing it. Also, they make coolers with cup holders on the top of them – if you have a cooler, you can bring drinks in stainless steel or glass bottles (although beware broken glass, as Beth mentions, if you choose glass) instead of drinking out of a disposable cup.
Here’s what I wrote:
?Turtlebacks I think that the debate on environmental issues is coming up because you are claiming that the product is “eco-friendly.” If you don’t want the debate, please consider changing your advertising.
Unable to post my comment on FB. My computer binds up when I click on “Send”. I’d like to say: Plastic and the oceans don’t mix. Turtles and other sealife mistake plastic for food, eat it, and often die. Surely there’s something else you can create that we won’t feel bad about in 100 years. The pieces of cups and holders will still be floating about in the water. Is that a green legacy that your grandchildren will appreciate and be proud of?
I whole heartedly disagree w censorship of any kind but feel some of you have gone a little overboard here…
We live near the beach; we volunteer w community clean ups as well as w the local aquarium w sea turtle nest identification & marking…
Yet my family still *gasp* takes plastic toys to the beach. It’s about personal responsibility & teaching others to be good stewards of the planet not simply raging the minute you see anything made from plastics…
I don’t even understand why this product is necessary. If I have a drink at the beach, I can just burrow it into the sand to keep it standing up, and if I’m worried about sand getting on the bottom of it, I can nestle it in my beach towel before burrowing it. Also, they make coolers with cup holders on the top of them – if you have a cooler, you can bring drinks in stainless steel or glass bottles (although beware broken glass, as Beth mentions, if you choose glass) instead of drinking out of a disposable cup.
I left a comment to Turtleback’s response, this is what I wrote: “This looks like a great product but would love it if the company considered using a better material than plastic. I live by the ocean and pick up plastic almost daily. Even a lifetime would not be enough to clean the beaches of plastic. There are no excuses, we all need to change and change always starts now.’
I wrote several comments, probably more than I needed so I won’t post them all here, but here are the one’s most likely to get deleted:
“I’m so sad to seeing you deleting legitimate comments left by people who are concerned about the damage your product is going to do to the very place you expect people to use it – the beach and the ocean. This isn’t political. It’s legitimate concerns about your product. It’s great that you are using recycled plastic, but the oceans don’t know the difference between recycled and virgin plastic. Plastic kills in the ocean. Period. It has no business being at the beach. Even if people use other beverage containers, your product is still plastic, and IT WILL end up in the ocean. Have you not heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? It’s an island of plastic in the ocean that is LARGER THAN THE STATE OF TEXAS, and by most accounts is impossible to clean up. And, you are contributing to it. You are passing yourself off as an eco-friendly company because you are using recycled plastic but are totally unwilling to acknowledge or take responsibility for the damage your product is doing to the environment. If your product was intended for use inland you wouldn’t be getting this firestorm. You are getting it because it is inappropriate for the location you intend it….and because of your terrible handling of people’s concerns.”
To their claim they weren’t deleting comments and were just banning people who couldn’t be civilized: “Actually, you are banning people with legitmate concerns. I read those comments and they were perfectly civil. They just happen to be prominent bloggers who can bring real attention to this…and clearly have.”
“There is a time and a place for recycled plastic, and the beach isn’t it”
“I don’t live near the beach, but i do pick up plastic where I do live…all.the.time, and I do my best to eliminate it wherever I can. I support recycled plastic products. But they are not appropriate all the time, and this is one of those times when it’s not appropriate.”
Here’s my comment. I’m so infuriated!
Greenwashing much? Creating more plastic products, even “recycled” plastic, pollutes the environment simply through its production, as well as adds even more of a threat to wildlife. There are more efficient, eco-friendly, and cheaper ways to keep your cups stable everywhere (tables! hands!) What’s wrong with sand, anyway?
Have you posted this to the Plastic Crap Wall of Shame yet?
No! And I have to get packing to get out of here. Will you do it for me? Thanks! Your comments on the Turtleback wall ROCK!
I will, but with the new pages it won’t show up in people’s timelines the way it will if you do it. But I’ll do it for now. I also posted it to the Greenwashing Hall of Shame.
What I posted…
I could care less about your product as today is the first I’ve ever heard of it. How you handled this whole ordeal was childish and quite pathetic. A very large, and growing, number of people care about using less plastics and about the hazards of plastic products. Since your product falls into that category, you might have been wise to actually listen to feedback instead of getting all pouty and deleting comments and banning people. Now you have a huge number of bad press heading your way. I suppose at this point, you deserve it for conducting yourselves in the manner.
Great article. What a ridiculous product. Just hold your freaking cup. Or better yet bring some stainless steel or reusable bottles with ice cold water in them. My husband and I are volunteers for our local Sea Turtle Patrol and the things we find on the beach are sickening. Shoes, sunglasses, and entire cabanas full of stuff. We walk on a very touristy beach and the things people do sicken me. We have found holes dug that are as deep as my (6ft tall husbands) knees. With the full size shovel still sitting next to it. We have seen people leave EVERYTHING they brought down to the beach there overnight as though it were their own private storage locker. I have had to pull beach chairs out of the surf before they washed away because people are too lazy to pull them back up the beach when they leave. I live for the day when people realize that a beach is more than just your vacation spot. It is a habitat that sustains life for many, many species and is a direct outlet to our ocean habitats.
I will say that my first thought upon reading the title was how ironic the name was when plastic ocean debris causes a huge problem for sea turtles all over the world.
Naming it after turtles is in such poor taste and then deleting any dissenting comments and acting as though the commenters are political wackos because they care…sheesh!
utter nonsense….cant imagine there are people who like the page and are talking about it in positive comments…disgusting
I left a quick FB comment: “I think Turtlebacks are a cool idea, but that photo makes me wince. I hope you’ll consider making them out of a more turtle-friendly material!”
Beth, this is why we love you and what you stand for. You’re not going to stand for this, and neither will any of us.
I hope you will get to silence on this (for now) while on your retreat. There is plenty of room for talking when you get back!
I’m actually banned from their FB page…
We pick up way too much plastic crap on the beach… a lot not necessarily littered, but most often things that have been forgotten. Because of our beach clean ups my kids now have a stores worth of plastic beach toys. Of course they play with them, but most often our favorite things to take to the beach for my kids to dig and build with are (drum-roll) their hands.
Hands can’t be forgotten. They’re plastic free and provide hours and hours of play for my kids 😉
I hate that damn red solo cup!
So, this is what I wrote: “As a business, you have the choice whether to listen to potential customers or not, but I think it is a naive to think this conversation isn’t important. I think it is great you are making a product made from recycled material, but why not market your product with other reusable and recyclable containers? Why not consider the use of other materials that won’t kill sea life when, not if, they are swept out to sea? Why not engage in the conversation?”
I am also emailing the owner.
Oregon does not have the same beach culture a warmer climate may have, but I am always inclined to leave the toys at home. A metal bucket/cup/container is great for sandcastle building, as are metal gardening tools, but the best toys are sticks, shells, water, and each other.