Picture this: It’s a bright summer day. You arrive to the beach, lay your towel in the sand, and get ready to jump in the water. You look at the ocean in front of you: a beautiful, bright, blue expanse, sparkling under a clear sunny sky. You excitedly walk towards the water, ready to take the plunge in, and feel the cold water settle against your sun warmed skin. But wait? What’s that?
You try to walk in, but you can’t. Your arm hits a plastic bag floating in the waves, as your foot brushes past a knotted fishing line, left by its owner. A forgotten candy wrapper bobs in the water in front of you, and a plastic straw sits upon a bundle of seaweed. The clear water is obscured by hundreds of pieces of plastic, of different shapes and sizes, plaguing the ocean in front of you.
This is a reality across the world. From the warm beaches of Miami, to the coast of Africa, to the sunny shores of Australia, plastic pollution in our world's ocean is a real problem. This weekend, while swimming for only 5 minutes off the coast of Punta Blanca, Ecuador, I was able to find and retrieve 6 big pieces of plastic, floating in the water. If I could find that much in such a short time, imagine how much more plastic actually resided in those waters.
Because of this problem and more, millions of people around the world are joining the global movement called Plastic Free July.
The goal? Reduce single-use plastic waste everyday, at all the locations you frequent. One less thing you use is one less piece of plastic that can potentially end up in the ocean.
In the Plastic Free July spirit, today, on the last Sunday of July, here are some amazing and simple tips on how you can help fight plastic pollution:
1. Bring reusable shopping bags. Somewhere between five billion and one trillion plastic bags are used each year around the world, many of which make their eventual way into our world's oceans. By remembering to bring a reusable bag to the grocery store, supermarket, or shopping mall, you can help reduce this plastic waste in our seas.
2. Don't accept plastic straws. Ok, I know this issue has gained social media fame recently and been criticized to a point of ridicule. However, refusing to use plastic straws at restaurants and establishments makes a real difference, whether you think it or not. It may not feel like you can save the planet on your own, but little habits like this help raise awareness and your influence can easily spread. One small gesture can have a huge impact, not only on the ocean and sea life, but others around you too!
3. Stop buying plastic water bottles. Plastic water bottles and containers are among the most frequent forms of plastic pollution found in the ocean. By remembering to bring a reusable water bottle, whether that be to work, school, or while traveling, you can reduce your single use plastic usage tenfold! And with an increasing number of refillable water stations available around the world, using a reusable water bottle is getting easier and easier.
4. Don't buy plastic decorations. We've all seen the colorful party decorations strewn playfully at kids birthday parties. Although appearing nice and fun, these decorations are a huge waste, with many of the plastic ending up in the ocean. Balloons are especially bad, and if released into the air haphazardly, many of these balloons will eventually make their way to the sea, confuse marinelife and pollute our ocean.
5. Reassess your sanitary products. Many of the single use plastic found in your home are probably found in your bathroom. From toothbrushes to disposable razors, many sanitary products are made of plastic, and once thrown away, they will take millions of years to decompose. Next time you are out shopping for these products, consider buying a bamboo toothbrush, or a razor that will last you longer.
For more helpful tips, visit https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/!
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