Enter 4Ocean to share some eye-opening trash facts, more about their large-scale ocean cleanups, and tips on how you can help keep our planet happy!
Plastic materials were invented only a short time ago in 1907, but scientists predict that by the year 2050 there will be more pieces of plastic than fish in the world’s oceans. With nearly 300 million tons of plastic produced every year, it’s no wonder that so much of it is ending up in our oceans and destroying marine ecosystems across the globe.
In the Mediterranean Sea alone, the ratio of plastic to plankton is 1:2. To make matters worse, it’s not just the oceans that are being affected—it is all bodies of salt and fresh water. With the number of plastic pieces in our ocean increasing daily, it’s time to act in order to keep marine debris from becoming an even larger crisis.
Fortunately, more and more individuals and companies are becoming educated on the negative effects of ocean pollution and taking action to help reverse these effects (and you can too). Awareness of the overwhelming occurrence of ocean pollution is the first step and with some simple lifestyle changes, we can have an enormous positive impact on our oceans. Read on for some tips on how you can help!
Reuse Your Bags
Always use reusable shopping bags instead of single-use plastic bags. The average American family uses 1,500 single-use plastic bags per year. By choosing reusable bags, you can help to eliminate as much as 1,500 plastic bags from being produced!
Suck it Up
Say “no thanks” when offered a plastic straw and instead go for a reusable straw. In the United States alone, 500 million plastic straws are used every single day. That’s enough straws to wrap the circumference of the earth 2.5 times! Now imagine that magnified by global consumption. Refuse the straw! (Likewise, bring along your own reusable utensils when getting food to-go and skip the plastic!)
Drink it In
Invest in a reusable water bottle that also charges your water with rose quartz crystal energy (double bonus)! Single-use plastic water bottles are one of the top plastic items found in our oceans and with Americans using about 50 billion plastic water bottles last year, it is no wonder why plastic in our oceans is continuing to increase. By carrying a reusable water bottle, an individual can eliminate about 170 water bottles per year.
So what about the trash that is already in the ocean?
That is where 4Ocean comes in. By hosting beach, coastline, and offshore cleanups, 4Ocean is making an immense difference in the health of the world’s oceans and all of the inhabitants who call the ocean home. After launching in January 2017, 4Ocean has already successfully removed over 47,000 pounds of trash from the ocean.
Because over 90% of ocean trash comes from land-based sources, beach cleanups are another great way to keep trash from making its way into our beautiful oceans. The 4Ocean team hosts cleanups throughout the world and encourages everyone to participate in cleanups whether they’re hosting or not. To learn more about how you can help make a difference, please visit their website and see how you can get involved.
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If you enjoyed this post, check out The Best Ingredients For You (and the Earth).
