Reduce Plastic Movement

Save Our Oceans

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Plastic Is Made From Oil — Pollutes The Oceans — By 2050, There Will Be More Plastic Than Fish — We Eat Plastic When We Eat Fish.

10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution

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 trying 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 a 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.

6. Recycle (duh).
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.

These Fanciful Sea Creatures Were Carried in on the Tide
An Oregon community is making spectacular statues out of ocean plastic to raise awareness about a crisis at sea.

YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED

What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers?
Here’s everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1.

GUIDE

Single-Use Plastics 101
Here’s everything you need to know about the most ubiquitous (and avoidable) kind of plastic waste: the kind made to be tossed in mere minutes.

ONEARTH STORY

Gaze Into This Reflecting Pool and See Your Plastic Self
Dutch artist Thijs Biersteker’s kinetic installation puts the “I” in plastic pollution.

EXPLAINER

Our Oceans’ Last Chance: Protect the High Seas
A new United Nations treaty is bringing a once-in-a-generation chance to save our open oceans and all the life that depends on them.

MIDWEST DISPATCH

Plastic: What Gets Thrown in the Great Lakes, Stays in the Great Lakes
We need to take control of the 10,000 tons of plastic entering the lakes each year—whether we recycle, reuse, or just outright ban the stuff.

PROFILE

Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution
Lizzie Carr is shining a light on what is floating through the world’s waterways and breaking athletic records along the way.

PERSONAL ACTION

Green Your Halloween
Five ways to indulge your sweet tooth and your spooky side without a whole lot of waste or frightful chemicals.

PERSONAL ACTION

Recycling: Beyond the Bin
We’ve made huge strides in keeping the things we throw away out of landfills. Here’s how you can take recycling to the next level—at home, at work, and in your community.

POLICY PRIMER

What’s Happening to the North Atlantic Right Whale Is Just Plain Wrong
Scientists say the species could be functionally extinct in as little as 20 years—but there are some solutions within reach.

ONEARTH STORY

The Blue (Plastic) Planet
The amount of plastic we dump into our oceans each year could stretch halfway to Mars. Really.

YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED

Will Shifting to Reusable Straws Really Make a Difference?
NRDC’s Eric Goldstein gives the scoop on the latest environmental villain and explains why plastic straws really are a big menace to our oceans.

Gerda

ONEARTH STORY
Preemies and Plastic: A Growing Problem?
A chemical used in medical equipment could cause health problems in an already vulnerable population: preemies.

PERSONAL ACTION

Kicking a Bag Habit
California just passed the first statewide bag ban in the nation. Even if you don’t live in the Golden State, you can still help wean your town off plastics.

PERSONAL ACTION

Attention, Online Shoppers
Is shopping online or in-store better for the environment? It depends—on you.

PROFILE

Spinning Records Without the Vinyl
Jazz pianist Fabian Almazan started Biophilia Records to make great music—and environmental change.

ONEARTH STORY

Tires: An Emerging Threat to Our Waterways, Our Seafood, and Ourselves?
The United States produces two million tons of tire particles each year, and we know very little about what they do to the environment.

PROFILE

In Landlocked Vienna, a Humpback Spreads a Powerful Message
Austrian students transformed trash into a giant whale sculpture. Now they’re using it to bring international attention to the issue of ocean pollution.

ONEARTH STORY

A Single Discarded Fishing Net Can Keep Killing for Centuries
A new report estimates that around 700,000 tons of fishing gear are abandoned in the oceans each year. Now the good news: We can curb this.

YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED
Does It Actually Make Sense to Combine Different Types of Recyclables in One Bin?
Darby Hoover, NRDC’s waste expert, says this “single-stream” type of recycling is mostly about customer convenience, but the costs may outweigh the benefits.

SOUTHEAST DISPATCH

The Gulf of Mexico Is Sending Out an S.O.S.—a Message in a Plastic Bottle

Thanks to the Mississippi River’s trash stream, the Gulf has some of the highest concentrations of plastic in the world.

Help keep our marine life from eating and swimming in garbage.

While soaking up the relaxing cadence of crashing waves on the beach, no one wants to think about how the ocean has basically become garbage soup. But here’s the buzz-killing reality: There are millions of tons of debris floating around in that water—and most of it is plastic.

January 05, 2016, Sarah Engler

A Call To Action To Save Earth and Save The Human Race!

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