CALL TO ACTION
I consider myself a 'local advocate,' I want to lead a cause that will help clean up and lessen the number of plastics and other hazardous materials that get left in the oceans. We need to hold people accountable and put the necessary policies in action to help preserve our oceans across the world. In our world, plastic overtakes the majority of packaging, "plastic pollution in the oceans threatens the safety and survivability of many ocean species due to the ingestion of straws, plastic bags, and other debris," (Citizen Sustainable, 2022). I am calling on you to help me by finding suitable ways to change consumption habits and raise awareness about plastic destruction to our ocean ecosystems.
This problem is worldwide and is something that needs to get addressed or our future generations and marine wildlife will be greatly impacted. The Oceanic Society is one of many working on fighting the battle against plastic pollution; they say, "with skyrocketing plastic production, ineffective recycling, and poor waste management, between 4 and 12 million metric tons enter the ocean each year-enough to cover every foot of coastline on the planet," (Oceanic Society, 2022). This problem is worldwide and is something that needs to get addressed or our future generations and marine wildlife will continue to be greatly impacted, but many people do not know where to start on the journey to reducing plastic use.
There is a dire need for producers and consumers to start going green and finding new and innovative ways to reduce plastic use and remove it from our oceans. It starts when consumers start changing their consumption habits and reaching for biodegradable and eco-friendly products and packaging rather than the large name brands that are packaging and producing products plastic-based. Citizen Sustainable mentions several options for consumers to think about when purchasing products; first, eliminate single-use plastics, "replacing these with reusable options, you can eliminate the amount of plastic that you use," and secondly, avoid microbeads, microbeads are a form of microplastic found in beauty products, "although small they still find there way into the ocean by getting washed down the drain, once in the ocean, they get eaten by marine animals just like other plastics," (Citizen Sustainable, 2022).
It will be a lot of work, but with my passion and love for this, I believe that I can get the followers to help me launch a movement. Could you please help me by sharing some of the policies that make it difficult to be more innovative when it comes to companies paying for their part in plastic pollution or any tips that make it easier to be more sustainable? You can post your replies in the comment section below or connect with us on Instagram @swimmingwithplastics!
References
Citizen Sustainable. (2022). Does Recycling Keep Plastic Out of the Ocean? Retrieved from:
https://citizensustainable.com/recycling-ocean/#:~:text=A%20larger%20cause%20of%20recyclables%20ending%20up%20in,in%20those%20materials%20ending%20up%20in%20the%20ocean.
Oceanic Society. (2022) Plastic Pollution. Retrieved from:
https://www.oceanicsociety.org/our-work/plastic-pollution/.
Image Source
Less Plastic. (2022). Why Less Plastic? Retrieved from:
VERY important topic that's worthy of our entire society's focus. I've read blogs with a similar focus. I wasnted to share a link in case you wanted to connect with other bloggers to see how you can bring even more awareness and change to this issue. It breaks my heart to think of the disgusting impact this is having on our beautiful oceans. Check out: https://kaseymccarlsplasticfreefuture.blogspot.com/
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I am so surprised to learn about micro beads in makeup! I had to Google it and learn about the products that utilize them. I am absolutely appalled that the brands I know and use on a daily basis are causing this much harm to the environment. I am looking to finding out much more in your future blogs!
ReplyDeleteI am not exactly sure of a policy, but I know many restaurants and bars still serve single-use plastic because it is more expensive for them to buy biodegradable straws. This makes me sad because this stops a lot of business from trying to be more environmentally friendly!
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