Reduce – Reuse – Recycle

Pretty catchy headline, but I cannot claim credit. Actually, I was heading to Port Mansfield for a two-day fishing trip and stopped at a Stripes convenience store in Raymondville for fuel and boat snacks. The clerk bagged my goodies and, to my surprise, the sack was emblazoned with a great conservation message on both sides. Kudos to Stripes!

Notice that I kept the sack and heeded the messages. I filled it with other plastic bags – an assortment of plastic bread wrappers, bags from the dry cleaner, and other shopping bags. It was deposited in the plastic recycle bin at my local HEB Grocery. Kudos to HEB for making these recycle bins available!

Reusing plastic containers is another excellent strategy for eliminating plastic waste in our bays and waterways. For years we have been rinsing plastic soda bottles, filling with tap water, and freezing for a variety of uses on outdoor adventures – fishing, hunting, etc. They work perfectly in the ice chest for cooling our catch and also in the lunch box. Any size will work but I prefer the 12 and 16 ounce sizes as they fit conveniently between other items you are trying to keep cool. And – in a pinch – you can drink the water when the ice melts.

I have mentioned in other installments my disdain for ice sacks I find floating in the harbors and bays. Making my way through the Port Mansfield harbor after a day of fishing, I cruised closed to the rip-rap lining the bank for a look at how well Mansfield anglers are doing in the trash management department. Note the accompanying photo: an ice sack filled with empty Corona-Light cans wedged in the rocks.

Seems a boat crew using the harbor was partially diligent in bagging their empties but didn’t do so well in getting them to the trash can. As Jay Watkins says in his column this month…C’mon Man!

TSFMag encourages reader to share their own plastic management and reduction ideas on this page. We’ll reward participants with Yeti drinkware and $25 gift certificates from Fishing Tackle Unlimited.

In closing I want to thank Costa Del Mar for becoming a sponsor of TSFMag’s - Plastic and Water Don’t Mix. Costa set a great example for the fishing community several years ago with the launch of their Kick Plastic campaign. Costa is a very conservation oriented company and makes some of the finest fishing eyewear available. Please consider a pair of Costa glasses when making your next purchasing decision.