PLASTIC POLLUTION

PLASTIC WASTE DEVASTATING EFFECTS

There are a ton of articles, literature, and scientific studies that show how damaging plastic waste is to marine life, but the problem remains. Recently, Greenpeace Philippines took action. The non-profit created a work of art designed to be a wake-up call for all consumers.

Greenpeace created a 50-ft dead whale out of plastic debris and put it on a beach for the public to see. It’s a shocking piece with red debris symbolizing blood coming from the whale’s back and loads of plastic bottles gushing from its mouth.

Greenpeace hopes the shocking artwork forces consumers to stop using plastic altogether.

The damage caused by plastic pollution in the ocean

A staggering amount of that plastic ends up in the water. There is 270 million tons of plastic waste floating in the ocean. That’s the weight of 36,000 elephants, or 135,000 cars.

It’s estimated that plastic garbage affects 700 marine species, according to Plymouth University. Animals not only get tangled in plastic debris, but they digest it too.

Sea Turtles, for example, mistake plastic waste for food, which obstructs their digestive system and can lead to death. Seabirds that dive into the ocean after fish often grab a mouthful of plastic as well.

Sea creatures killed by plastic garbage continue to make headlines. In Spain, for example, rescuers tried to save a beached sperm whale only to find that the animal had ingested so much plastic that it couldn’t survive. Inside the whale was 38 pounds of plastic trash that had blocked its digestive system.

Considering more than 90 percent of all trash floating in the world’s oceans is plastic, it’s logical that plastic accounts for the most harmful man-made items in the ocean. But what we often forget is that animals are ingesting this plastic waste every day, especially straws.

Many marine biologists, photographers, and sea lovers have captured the impact of single-use plastic on animals. As the plastic travels into and around the ocean, it breaks into tiny pieces that are then easily ingested by marine life. These are the top animals affected by single-use straws in the ocean:

Seabirds

Millions of seabirds are killed from the effects of plastic pollution every year. One of the most common plastic items ingested by seabirds are plastic straws from juice boxes. The plastic reduces the storage volume of their stomachs, ultimately causing them to starve. It’s estimated that 90 percent of all seabirds have eaten pieces of plastic. That number is predicted to increase to 99 percent by 2050.

Fish

Fish ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic each year in the North Pacific alone. This causes intestinal injury, death, and also transfers plastic up the food chain to bigger fish and marine mammals. A recent study found that a quarter of fish at markets in California contained plastic in their guts, mostly in the form of plastic microfibers. This plastic leaches harmful toxins, including BPA, into their bodies and ultimately into us through our dinner plates.

Sea Turtles

Sea turtles also mistake floating plastic items for food. While plastic bags are the most commonly ingested item found in turtles, straws are a close second. About a year ago, two researchers posted an 8-minute video of what happened when a turtle met a straw and the impact it had on the animal. Since some sea turtle species are critically endangered, this viral story highlighted the important issue of single-use straw waste.