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0.04-0.11 metric million tons is the equivalent of 60,000-165,000 cows!

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Altmann, G. Sustainability, energy, globe [Online image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/images/id-3310049/

Spanish tourist islands set to ban single-use plastics. (2018, February 1). Retrieved from Green News Ireland website: https://greennews.ie/spanish-tourist-islands-set-ban-plastics/

Ochel, E. Bottles, water, steel, glass [Online image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/images/id-774466/

Tano, S. (2019). Me and My Reusable Bottle.

www.ETRetail.com. (2018, October 28). Big brands pledge to turn tide on global plastic waste - ET Retail. Retrieved from ETRetail.com website: https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/big-brands-pledge-to-turn-tide-on-global-plastic-waste/66412168

Clker-Free-Vector-Images. Recycling, container, bin, boxes [Online image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/images/id-41078/

Byrne, L. (2019, January 4). Irish government in single-use plastic ban. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46750843

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"I choose to use a reusable bottle because it decreases how much plastic I throw away, which helps cut down on plastic pollution."

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"I love bringing my reusable water bottle to keep hydrated at ballet! It reduces my daily use of plastic and sometimes matches my outfit!"

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Sumnow, S. Background, bay, beach, beautiful [Online image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/images/id-2413074/

Wernick, A. (2015, February 22). Forget the floating Pacific garbage patch — new trash entering the oceans is much worse. Retrieved from Public Radio International website: https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-02-22/forget-floating-pacific-garbage-patch-new-trash-entering-oceans-much-worse

Braxmeier, H. Bottles, Plastic bottle, bottle [Online image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/images/id-60475/

Clker-Free-Vector-Images. Cow, food, farm, animal, horns [Online image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/images/id-48494/

Tano, S. (2019). Reusable Bottles at the San Diego Zoo Gift Shop.

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Post your photos that are inspired by the 6 Rs here!

Be mindful not to show your face if you are not allowed to have photos online.

To post your photo, click on the plus mark and upload a photo from your computer. Add your caption and click "Post." Once I approve your post, it will show up in this section. You do not need to include your name. If you want to use your phone to add your photo, you'll need the free Padlet app.

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Share your choice to use a reusable bottle instead of single-use plastic bottles with others, urging them to do the same!

Can you think of another single-use plastic item to reduce your use of? Share your idea with others!

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Next, a Plan for Action! Introducing the 6 Rs!

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Next, a Plan for Action! Introducing the 6 Rs!

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The U.S. domestic recycling rate in 2018 was only 2%. Six times more plastic is burned than recycled in the U.S., polluting the atmosphere (Dell, 2019).

Because recycling is not a credible solution to plastic waste, It is imperative to think about and decrease how much plastic we use in our daily lives (Aust, 2017).

If you do use a single-use plastic item, you should still make sure it is recyclable and place it in a recycling receptacle if you need to throw it away.

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Whenever you see plastic pollution, make another positive choice and pick it up! Make sure it is disposed of properly.

You can even challenge a friend to see who can clean up the most plastic pollution. Post a photo of all of the plastic you clean up!

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In the "Photo Wall" space below, post a photo of yourself with your reusable bottle!

Include a one-sentence caption explaining why you made the choice to switch from single-use plastic bottles to a reusable bottle.

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Refuse to use single-use plastic bottles! Use a reusable bottle instead. They come in many materials and designs.

For sports, you might want to use an insulated bottle to keep your water really cold.

To express your creative side, you can decorate your reusable bottle with stickers or choose one with a fun design!

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Use this Plastic Pollution Calculator to determine how many plastic items you use and discard every year (Earth Day Network, 2019).

The calculator will also help you set a goal for the amount of plastic that you could stop consuming per year.

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Aust, A. (2017, April 14). How much plastic do you use in a day? Retrieved from https://ww2.kqed.org/education/2017/04/14/how-much-plastic-do-you-use-in-a-day/

California Academy of Sciences (n.d.). Preventing plastic pollution. Retrieved from California Academy of Sciences website: https://www.calacademy.org/educators/preventing-plastic-pollution

Cressey, D. (2016). Bottles, bags, ropes, and toothbrushes: the struggle to track ocean plastics. Nature News, 536(7616), 263. https://doi.org/10.1038/536263a

Dell, J. (2019, April 30). Six times more plastic waste is burned in U.S. than is recycled. Retrieved from https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/pft/2019/4/29/six-times-more-plastic-waste-is-burned-in-us-than-is-recycled

Earth Day Network. (2019). End plastic pollution. Retrieved from https://www.earthday.org/campaigns/plastics/plastics-campaign/

The Measure of Things (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bluebulbprojects.com/measureofthings/results.php?amt=1&comp=weight&unit=tnsm&searchTerm=1+tonne

Tibbetts, J. H. (2015). Managing marine plastic pollution: policy initiatives to address wayward waste. Environmental Health Perspectives, 123(4), A90–A93. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.123-A90

Vince, J., & Hardesty, B.D. (2018). Governance solutions to the tragedy of the commons that marine plastics have become. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00214

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Yes! You can share your decision to use a reusable water bottle instead of single-use plastic bottles with your friends and family members. Explain why you are making this choice and inspire others to make the same simple change! Eventually, a societal movement in the direction of ditching the single use plastic bottle may help to steer policy changes to make an even bigger difference in the health of our planet (Vince & Hardesty, 2018).

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But I Need a Water Bottle for School and Sports!

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But I Need a Water Bottle for School and Sports!

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You can make a simple lifestyle change for the good of the environment by simply not using single-use water bottles. Use a reusable water bottle instead!

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OK, So What Can I Do To Make a Difference?

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OK, So What Can I Do To Make a Difference?

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Single-use plastics make up 4.9% of the plastics currently polluting the ocean (Cressey, 2016). This may not seem like a huge percentage, but the U.S. alone contributes 0.04-0.11 metric million tons of plastic debris to the ocean every year (Tibbetts, 2015). One way to reduce plastic pollution is to significantly reduce the number of single-use plastic items, such as bottles, we use.

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What Can Be Done About Plastic Pollution?

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What Can Be Done About Plastic Pollution?

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To completely solve the problem of marine plastic pollution, a combination of solutions will be required, ranging from global and governmental regulations to community-based solutions (Vince & Hardesty, 2018). To reverse current trends, tracking, capturing, and recycling plastic waste before it enters the ocean is of critical importance.

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Healthy Oceans: Preventing Plastic Pollution | California Academy of Sciences

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Why Should I Care About Plastic Pollution?

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Why Should I Care About Plastic Pollution?

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We are all connected to the ocean and we all depend on the ocean for our survival. If current trends continue, the amount of plastic pollution entering the oceans is predicted to more than double by the year 2025 (Tibbetts, 2015). Once plastics are in the ocean, they degrade and are consumed by marine life, adding toxic substances to the food chain (Tibbetts, 2015). Similar to the way DDT was pointed out as a significant pollutant in Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, plastic pollution is now known to be increasingly detrimental to the environment (Vince & Hardesty, 2018).