It’s amazing how much plastic is a part of our world. It’s hard to imagine how we could go about our daily lives without the utility and convenience it provides. However, our planet is becoming overwhelmed with plastic—especially in our oceans. Here are some statistics that appeared in a recent article in Fishbio titled “Toxic Soup in the Plastic Age”.
- By the year 2050, the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans may outweigh all of the fish combined.
- Plastic use will triple in use by 2050
- Almost a third of the plastic produced each year is not disposed of, and much of it eventually makes its way to the sea
- Plastic is ingested by more than 700 species of marine wildlife including fish, birds, and marine mammals
- Once present in the food web, plastic particles can end up in market species such as tuna, and eventually humans
- They tiny pieces of plastic that result from degradation can persist for hundreds to thousands of years
- Our country disposes of 30 billion plastic bottles a year
This all sounds overwhelming and we are going to drown in our own creation. So, what can we do? Here are ideas from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
- Support policies to reduce single-use plastic
- Cut back on single use plastic
- Recycle properly
- Get involved
For more specific actions you can take from these ideas from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, go to
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/act-for-the-ocean/plastic-pollution/what-you-can-do
Posted on March 11th, 2022