Can you believe that the United States has produced more plastic in the past 10 years than the entire last century?! In Los Angeles alone, the Pacific Ocean is polluted with 10 metric tons of plastic per day. Sadly, one hundred thousand marine animals and over one million birds vanish each year from this plastic in the water.
What are some available options to start reversing these staggering statistics? It’s an easier task than we think to reduce plastic waste in our everyday lives. Even the smallest changes make a difference, it’s as simple as switching to glass straws or a bamboo toothbrush and bringing your own reusable bags when shopping!
In addition to taking preventative measures, there are plenty of opportunities to play a part in cleaning up plastic that’s already polluting our environment. A great place to start is International Coast Cleanup Day on September 16th!
This event is hosted by the Ocean Conservancy organization which is a global cleanup initiative, with scheduled cleanups in places across the world.  All you have to do is sign up for one near you and get cleanin’! It’s the perfect opportunity to give back to your local community, as well as to make an impact on a global scale.
Even though It can be easy to assume that as one person it’s impossible to make a difference in such large statistics but if you check out the results from last year, you'll see the massive power each person has in bringing the world coming together to do something worthwhile!!
Find a cleanup near you here!