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What's one way that we can stop plastic pollution?

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This constant barrage (the equivalent of 136 billion milk jugs each year, estimates a study published in the journal Science) poses a serious danger to marine life. Animals can get tangled up in this trash or ingest it-either because they mistake it as prey or because the plastic has been broken down into tiny particles by seawater.

Plastic, of course, is uniquely problematic because it's nonbiodegradable and therefore sticks around for a lot longer (like up to 1,000 years longer) than other forms of trash. And we're not just talking about people dumping their garbage overboard. Around 80 percent of marine litter actually originates on land-either swept in from the coastline or carried to rivers from the streets during heavy rain via storm drains and sewer overflows.

So the best thing we can do to protect our waterways is try to keep as much plastic as possible out of the waste stream in the first place. The good news? There are many small ways you can have a big impact.

1. Wean yourself off disposable plastics.

Ninety percent of the plastic items in our daily lives are used once and then chucked: grocery bags, plastic wrap, disposable cutlery, straws, coffee-cup lids. Take note of how often you rely on these products and replace them with reusable versions. It only takes a few times of bringing your own bags to the store, silverware to the office, or travel mug to Starbucks before it becomes habit.

2. Stop buying water.

Each year, close to 20 billion plastic bottles are tossed in the trash. Carry a reusable bottle in your bag, and you'll never be caught having to resort to a Poland Spring or Evian again. If you're nervous about the quality of your local tap water, look for a model with a built-in filter.

3. Boycott microbeads.

Those little plastic scrubbers found in so many beauty products-facial scrubs, toothpaste, body washes-might look harmless, but their tiny size allows them to slip through water-treatment plants. Unfortunately, they also look just like food to some marine animals. Opt for products with natural exfoliants, like oatmeal or salt, instead.

4. Cook more.

Not only is it healthier, but making your own meals doesn't involve takeout containers or doggy bags. For those times when you do order in or eat out, tell the establishment you don't need any plastic cutlery or, for some serious extra credit, bring your own food-storage containers to restaurants for leftovers.

5. Purchase items secondhand.

New toys and electronic gadgets, especially, come with all kinds of plastic packaging-from those frustrating hard-to-crack shells to twisty ties. Search the shelves of thrift stores, neighborhood garage sales, or online postings for items that are just as good when previously used. You'll save yourself a few bucks, too.

It seems obvious, but we're not doing a great job of it. For example, less than 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. Confused about what can and can't go in the bin? Check out the number on the bottom of the container. Most beverage and liquid cleaner bottles will be #1 (PET), which is commonly accepted by most curbside recycling companies. Containers marked #2 (HDPE; typically slightly heavier-duty bottles for milk, juice, and laundry detergent) and #5 (PP; plastic cutlery, yogurt and margarine tubs, ketchup bottles) are also recyclable in some areas. For the specifics on your area, check out Earth911.org's recycling directory.

7. Support a bag tax or ban.

Urge your elected officials to follow the lead of those in San Francisco, Chicago, and close to 150 other cities and counties by introducing or supporting legislation that would make plastic-bag use less desirable.

8. Buy in bulk.

Single-serving yogurts, travel-size toiletries, tiny packages of nuts-consider the product-to-packaging ratio of items you tend to buy often and select the bigger container instead of buying several smaller ones over time.

9. Bring your own garment bag to the dry cleaner.

Invest in a zippered fabric bag and request that your cleaned items be returned in it instead of sheathed in plastic. (And while you're at it, make sure you're frequenting a dry cleaner that skips the perc, a toxic chemical found in some cleaning solvents.)

10. Put pressure on manufacturers.

Though we can make a difference through our own habits, corporations obviously have a much bigger footprint. If you believe a company could be smarter about its packaging, make your voice heard. Write a letter, send a tweet, or hit them where it really hurts: Give your money to a more sustainable competitor.

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The first step towards a plastic pollution solution is learning how to reduce plastic use. Follow these steps to do your part in keeping our earth a cleaner place.

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Stop Marine Plastic Pollution -- Ask Producers to Help Save our Seas and $8 billion per year!

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What percent of our planet is ocean?

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What / who gave Bill Kardash the idea to start Ocean Conservancy?

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Since we were founded in 1972, Ocean Conservancy has gone by a few different names over the years, and with your support, we've accomplished many incredible things for whales and wildlife, local communities and for our ocean.

One of our first initiatives was the Whale Protection Fund, which focused on saving whales and protesting commercial whaling by Russia and Japan. We raised support from people like you to invest in scientific research, and we launched petitions and ran ads in papers to raise awareness about the whaling industry. All that commitment paid off when the International Whaling Commission finally banned commercial whaling in 1982.

In the early years, our work focused on species like whales, seals and sea turtles. While we were a part of many success stories, we realized we couldn't protect species without protecting their habitat. So we thought bigger and shifted to a more ecosystem-based approach. We were also one of the first environmental organizations to engage industries in conservation-a key part of our mission to this day.

In the 1980s, we fought for key habitats to be protected under the Marine Sanctuary Program, and our staff started the very first International Coastal Cleanup in 1986.

Over the years, our mission grew and solidified to make us who we are now: a science-based organization that stands on the absolute conviction that each individual can make a positive difference for our ocean.

By working together, Ocean Conservancy seeks solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it.

Today, we're dedicated to finding solutions to the biggest threats facing our ocean. And we know that we can't solve those problems without your support. Because we all depend on a healthy ocean for the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.

The ocean is our responsibility, what happens to it impacts all of us.

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Since we were founded in 1972, Ocean Conservancy has gone by a few different names over the years, and with your support, we've accomplished many incredible things for whales and wildlife, local communities and for our ocean. One of our first initiatives was the Whale Protection Fund, which focused on saving whales and protesting commercial whaling by Russia and Japan.

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Does ocean trash only effect marine life?

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How many "million metric tons of plastic is entering our ocean every year"?

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Where is Garbage Island? The most polluted uninhabited island?

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Melbourne: One of the world's most remote islands is polluted with the highest density of plastic debris reported anywhere on the planet, with over 37 million pieces littered on its beaches, a new study has found.

Henderson Island in the south Pacific Ocean is uninhabited and located more than 5,000 kilometres from the nearest major population centre. However, the beaches of the island - part of the UK's Pitcairn Islands territory - is littered with an estimated 37.7 million pieces of plastic.

The island is so remote that it is only visited every five to ten years for research purposes, but its location makes it a focal point for debris carried from South America or deposited by fishing boats, researchers said. During the most recent scientific expedition to the island led by the British nature conservation charity RSPB, found the beaches littered by up to 671 items per square metre, the highest density ever recorded.

"What has happened on Henderson Island shows there is no escaping plastic pollution even in the most distant parts of our oceans," said Jennifer Lavers, researcher at University of Tasmania in Australia."Far from being the pristine 'deserted island' that people might imagine of such a remote place, Henderson Island is a shocking but typical example of how plastic debris is affecting the environment on a global scale," said Lavers, lead author of the study published in the journal PNAS.

Based on their sampling at five sites, the researchers estimated that more than 17 tonnes of plastic debris has been deposited on the island, with more than 3,570 new pieces of litter washing up each day on one beach alone."It is likely that our data actually underestimates the true amount of debris on Henderson Island as we were only able to sample pieces bigger than two millimetres down to a depth of 10 centimetres, and we were unable to sample along cliffs
and rocky coastline," said Lavers.

She said most of the over 300 million tonnes of plastic produced worldwide each year is not recycled, and as it is buoyant and durable it has a long-term impact on the ocean. Plastic debris is an entanglement and ingestion hazard for many species, creates a physical barrier on the beaches to animals such as sea turtles, and lowers the diversity of shoreline invertebrates.

"Research has shown that more than 200 species are known to be at risk from eating plastic, and 55 per cent of the world's seabirds, including two species found on Henderson Island, are at risk from marine debris," Lavers added.

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One of world's remotest islands is most polluted: study

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Melbourne: One of the world's most remote islands is polluted with the highest density of plastic debris reported anywhere on the planet, with over 37 million pieces littered on its beaches, a new study has found. Henderson Island in the south Pacific Ocean is uninhabited and located more than 5,000 kilometres from the nearest major population centre.

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What are the 6 degrees of separation?

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How many pounds of plastic have been collected since 1985?
https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/

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What are the 4 practical solutions to ocean conservatory?

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Help Stop Ocean Pollution | Ocean Conservancy

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Living in FL for over 8 years you visit the beach hundreds of times and pollution on beaches is a very real problem. Very early every morning beaches are combed to take all the trash off that accumulated the night before.