Did you know, plastic pollution, including plastic, glass, oil, and chemicals, makes up around 60–95% of all the debris found in the ocean? The bulk of this pollution stems from single-use items. Plastic is one of the least biodegradable materials in the world, and can seriously endanger marine life, and even affect our health.
This is staggering – experts have estimated that eight million tons of the plastic produced each year goes on to pollute the ocean. Plastic is even expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050 if the current rate of plastic pollution persists.
How does plastic pollution affect animals?
Plastics including microplastics, abandoned fishing gear and other pollution has a massive impact on the health of ecosystems. Small fish eat tiny pieces of plastic, and when larger fish feed on these smaller species, it passes on the problem until this plastic eventually lands up on our dinner plates. In 2018, an autopsy of a beached whale by scientists found 20 square feet of single-use plastic shopping bags inside its stomach. Shocking! And over 100,000 sea turtles die each year from eating plastic pollution mistaken for food.
What about plastic bottles?
In Ocean Devotion, we see a mountain of plastic bottles clogging up the waters and affecting the marine life. Did you know that around one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute across the globe?! It is expected that during this year, more than 580 billion plastic drinking bottles will be manufactured and sold, and only a small percentage of those will be collected and reused.
What can you do to help?
It might seem overwhelming, but there are many small things you can do to reduce plastic pollution. Ocean Devotion gives us some creative and imaginative solutions for repurposing those plastic bottles, as well as inspiring us to find out more and spread the word. Each one of us collectively can make a difference!
- Cut down on single-use plastics, such as shopping bags, bottles and small food containers.
- Choose plastic-free items at shops, restaurants and entertainment spots, including plastic straws and cups.
- Carry a reusable, BPA-free water bottle and keep-cup with you when out and about.
Reference: www.gviaustralia.com.au
Thanks to Elizabeth Mary Cummings and Melissa Salvarani for writing and illustrating their valuable book, Ocean Devotion, and for speaking up and advocating for a better world for generations to come.
More about Elizabeth can be found at her website: Home – Elizabeth Mary Cummings
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Ocean Devotion is available for purchase at E.C.Press
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5 thoughts to “Let’s Make it Clear: Say NO to Plastics!”
That is such a powerful video, Romi. Thank you so much for sharing it. I will link to this post in mine.
It really hits home and hits the heart! Thank you for sharing x
It does. That’s for sure.
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I am definitely sharing this video – it is powerful and shocking so simply explained – a real call to action