One of the advantages of plastic is that it's designed to last. That's also one of its disadvantages.
Here are some staggering statistics about plastic:
- According to the National Geographic, 18 billion pounds of plastic ends up in the ocean each year. And stays there, damaging wildlife and the environment.
- More than 40% of plastic produced is used once. And then tossed.
- Americans throw away 35 billion plastic water bottles every year. For every six water bottles we use, only one makes it to the recycling bin. The rest are sent to landfills. Or, even worse, they end up as trash on the land and in rivers, lakes, and the ocean.
- A new study found twice as many plastic particles in bottled water as found in tap water.
- More than one million plastic bags are used every minute.
- 1 in 3 fish caught for human consumption now contains plastic.
How you can help?
- Bring your own shopping bag.
- Ditch the bottled water. Use a reusable water bottle instead.
- Pack your own lunch in reusable containers.
- Say no to plastic straws and disposable utensils.
- Skip the plastic produce bags.
- Don't use face wash or toothpaste with microbeads. These tiny plastic beads go down the drain, eventually making their way to rivers and lakes — and into the animals that live there.
- Spread the word about why it's important to reduce plastic.