In this moment where we are relying on curbside pick-up and takeout from restaurants, zero wasters, plastic-free warriors, and otherwise impact-conscious consumers might feel a little defeated when it comes to meal time. It’s hard to know ahead of time what your meal will come packaged in when ordering.
Seattle Surfrider is standing by our local restaurant industry during this challenging time. With a mission to reduce the world’s plastic footprint, we are showing extra love for the establishments listed below that are doing what they can to maintain sustainable practices by not providing Styrofoam containers, plastic bags or plastic straws, and providing utensils only upon request with takeout orders*.
We have complied a list of sustainable take out which you can find here and we’re looking for the community’s support to grow this list and keep it up-to-date. If you know of any Seattle-area restaurants that maintain the sustainable takeout practices noted above, please let us know and we will add them to the list.
Racism has no place in Surfrider and especially not within our Seattle Chapter. A key part of Surfrider's work is focusing on grassroots organizing in communities across the U.S. to ensure that everyone has a voice when it comes to protecting and enjoying our coast. A core tenet of our work has been to ensure the ocean, waves and beaches are safe and accessible to all people. This now more than ever rings true.
Surfrider HQ responded to the recent acts of racial violence in a blog post that can be found here. We want to echo what HQ has said and call out some of the key steps our chapter and Surfrider are taking:
Learn: Do our homework, learn important history, listen to those who have been on the frontlines of social justice, and amplify their messages to our audience. A great place to start is this Anti-Racism Toolkit.
Act: We commit to both immediate and long-term actions.
Drive support towards organizations committed to social justice include NAACP #WeAreDoneDying campaign, Color of Change, and especially social justice groups in our local communities.
Work at the intersection of social justice and coastal conservation in the communities where we operate.
Continue our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey at the Surfrider Foundation.
Stay Engaged: We recognize that this moment is tragic and poignant but this is not a singular occurrence. It is a result of a systemic racism that has been operating for hundreds of years. There is no quick fix, we recognize we have a lot to learn, and we are committed to these efforts for the long term. As Dr. Anaya Johnson shared, "Racism derails our efforts to save the planet". Racism has no place in Surfrider and more importantly no place if we are to ensure that our coasts are protected, healthy, and accessible to all.
Our monthly chapter meeting will be Tuesday, June 16 virtually over Zoom. All are welcome but you must RSVP here prior to the meeting to receive the zoom code link. We will be hosting a Surfrider 101 session so that we can all learn more about the basics of Surfrider - what is our mission, what we do, and how you can be involved.
Every day, the Surfrider Foundation and our volunteer activist network work to protect our coasts. On International Surfing Day, we take a moment to celebrate and enjoy the beaches and waves that we all love.
Given that at this time we are not allowed to have in person events, we are doing things a bit differently this year. If your able to visit a local beach, do a solo beach cleanup and show us what you picked up by posting on your social channels, use the hashtag #ISD2020 and tag @SEASurfrider. We are also looking for you to show us how you are shredding at home - wether its ripping on a surf skate, getting tubed via tarp, or paddling out on the Sound, show us on social media and we will share the stoke together!