While walking on the shore in Tofino several years ago, these blue pieces of plastic caught my eye, as have many others. Generally I was looking for other washed up treasures when my attention would be drawn to a piece of plastic or garbage.

Its easy to have excuses as to why I didn’t want to pick up the garbage, it wasn’t mine, I didn’t have a bag, I didn’t want to get my pocket dirty…. the list goes on, as does the emotions that go with picking up or not picking up someone else’s’ garbage.

If I didn’t pick up the plastic, and I did pick up driftwood or shells, or kelp, I would often feel guilt at the fact that I could accommodate something beautiful but not something that I saw as trash, even if it was polluting beaches and areas I loved.

After I started changing my perception of the trash I saw, I changed how I dealt with it. I started going out with a bag for plastic and a bag for other finds, started seeing even more plastic as I was now looking for it instead of trying to ignore it. Then I realized there was also a lot of beautiful plastic that had been worn down by the ocean, the sand and water, most likely the same stuff that looks so delicious to birds and other sea-life.

#firstworldbeachgems if you see plastic pick it up!