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Environmental pollution: Plastic is choking our oceans
Each year almost 5 million to 12.7 million tons of plastic are released into the ocean – more than the combined weight of every single blue whale on earth. This poses an enormous threat to marine life. Learn more
The global marine protection organisation Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) launched a new project in October 2017 that is focused on the reduction of plastic in our oceans. This project aims to protect dolphins, whales, porpoises and other marine species. The amount of plastic polluting the greatest ecosystem on Earth is unbelievable: there are about 10 million tons of plastic released each year that is polluting our oceans. But that’s not all: there are other substances polluting our oceans, including oil, fertilizers, sewage disposals, pesticides and toxic chemicals.
Plastic in Oceans is #NotWhaleFood
The amount of plastic polluting our oceans is a great threat to marine life; over 80% of pollution is derived from land-based activities. About 18,000 plastic items can be found on every square kilometre of the ocean, and 70% of the plastic sinks down to the ground. As a result, the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations sat together and discussed future solutions for this issue.
Did you know this?
-There have been more than 480 billion plastic bottles sold in 2016 across the world.
-Every year there are about 4.8 million to 12.7 million tons of plastic released into the ocean – which is more than the combined weight of every single blue whale on earth.
-Plastic debris can affect the health of reefs by lodging in coral.
If a single-used plastic bottle ends up in the ocean it can take 450 years to break down – a longer time period than the life span of a Bowhead whale (one of the longest living creatures on earth).
-Marine species, for example turtles, eat plastic bags due to mistaking them for jellyfish and plastic six-pack rings for bottles choke marine animals
For further information on plastic polluting the oceans, visit My Green World’s website and get to know how you can help fighting the pollution of oceans.
