What is at Malarrimo beach?

April 2022

When my husband Bryan told me about Malarrimo beach, I immediately wanted to go. We were visiting Guerrero Negro, a salt and whale town in Baja, when he told me, and if you look on a map, you’ll see how close Malarrimo is. But getting there is a different story. The beach is famous for beach combing and for being hard to reach. The Smithsonian did a piece on Malarrimo, but the writer didn’t actually go.

At first, I wanted to go to see what was there. Then, I wanted to go because I’m researching plastic and I wanted to know how much plastic was on the beach. Maybe a lot? Maybe none? I also wanted to know where things were coming from.

We hired Zihul, an amazing guide, and it took six hours to get to Malarrimo. The drive was incredibly beautiful.

The first thing we saw, as we turned into a wash, was drift wood, and then, we saw the plastic. So much plastic. The beach reaches out like a hand and catches what the Pacific brings; mostly it caught plastic—including whatever this container is.

Every type of plastic I’ve used was there. It was like the ghost of Christmas past and present. (Please, let it not be future.) I hope we’re ready for a better, healthier future.

Personal Action: Reduce at least one stream of plastic that runs through your house.

Plastic is overwhelming and using some is inevitable. But you can probably use less. Here are two steps to take.

Step 1: Make a list of plastics you commonly use:

cleaning bottles: hand soap, shampoo, liquid detergent, spray bottles, etc.
plastic bags: grocery bags, bread bags, ziplock bags, thin plastic produce bags from grocery store
plastic bottles: water bottles, sports drinks, soda
packaging (clam shells, granola wrappers, the plastic inside chocolate boxes), etc.

Step 2: Look for 5-10 substitutions and make them:

Powder detergent not liquid detergent
Bar soap not liquid body wash
Repurposed bread bags not new ziplock bags
Bamboo toothbrushes not plastic toothbrushes
Stainless steel straw (or no straw) not plastic straw
Reusable bags not plastic store bags
Mesh bags not plastic store produce bags
Tap water + reusable canister not bottled water
Utensils from home not plastic take-out utensils

Why it Matters: "For more than half a century, the plastics industry has engaged
in an aggressive campaign to deceive the public, perpetuating a myth that recycling can solve the plastics crisis," California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta told NPR. "The truth is: The vast majority of plastic cannot be recycled."

We seem to accept the narrative that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. It’s time to say no. Plastic production only expands if consumers buy it. And for inspiration, read this New York Times article about a zero-waste town in Japan.

When I contacted Coca-Cola via their website’s chat feature and encouraged the brand to shift to non-plastic containers, the customer service rep replied: “The plastic bottles are still very popular with consumers so we match our offerings to the local demand.”

When it comes to plastic, we vote with our dollar.

What are some swaps you’ve successfully made, removing a plastic stream? I’d like to include some reader tips in next month’s newsletter. Just hit reply and share your methods. I’m always learning.

Public Action: Tell Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé to stop fueling the climate crisis with plastic

Join Greenpeace in asking major drink brands to replace plastic bottles. Greenpeace makes it very easy. You can send the scripted letter here. Bonus points if you add your own personal concerns. These campaigns depend on people like us to be successful.

Why It Matters: Coca Cola’s plastic bottles will continue finding their way to the ocean—harming marine life and adding micro plastics to our diets—until Coca Cola stops putting their sodas and water in plastic bottles. We need to tell companies directly that we hold them responsible for the single-used plastic packaging that is damaging our planet.

Bonus action: Tell Coca Cola directly. In the U.S., call: 1 (800) 438-2653 (then press 5). When I called, I was told that Coca Cola has a plan to reduce plastic. Their plan, though, is flawed. I encouraged the company to phase out all plastic by 2030. If thousands called with the same earnest/cheerful message, the company would pay attention. I then chatted with someone over their website chat feature, and that’s when a rep basically told me that as long as customers buy plastic, they’ll make it.

It’s encouraging to hear. We have power as consumers. Let’s use it!

If you’re not already a subscriber to Cool It: Simple Steps to Save the Planet, you can sign up for free.

Book Recommendation

There’s a peach pit I planned to use in a craft project seven years ago and it’s still stored in the garage (somewhere!). By nature, I’m not a minimalist. But after reading The Day the World Stops Shopping by J.B. Mackinnon, I wanted to be. I want to live with less stuff, clean and organize less stuff, and use fewer resources. I’ve been reading The Joy of Less by Francine Joy and this weekend, I’ll tackle the garage and say goodbye to that peach pit (where ever it is). More importantly, I’m excited about spending less money and welcoming fewer things into our house.

About Sari Fordham: I grew up in Uganda in the house on the hill famous for the jungle that surrounded it. Mambas dropped out of the oven and driver ants streamed through the windows. When the chickens squawked at night, my father didn’t know whether they were being attacked by a mongoose or genet.

As an adult, I returned to the house and the jungle was gone. In one generation, a tiny habitat had vanished. After my mother died, I began writing about my childhood in the memoir Wait for God to Notice. Now that I’m a mother, I understand her concerns about making a home in a dangerous place. I feel that urgency, too. But I want to ensure that my daughter will have more access to wild spaces, that all children will.

We live in Riverside, California. My husband Bryan and I work to create a small habitat around our house. There are no mambas, but we get lizards and bees, hummingbirds and house finches, and the occasional hawk, owl, and skunk. On days when I particularly feel the weight of climate change, I can step outside and listen to the bees hum, a reminder that all has not been lost.