Shore Buddies Wisdom Wednesday
Image by @zackvibes on Instagram
This week we’re switching up our Wisdom Wednesday blog to be more of an update about a popular topic in ocean pollution: Sea Turtles. Sea turtles are affected by plastic during every stage of their life. They crawl through plastic on the way to the ocean as hatchlings, swim through it while migrating, confuse it for jellyfish (one of their favorite foods), and then crawl back through it as adults. Researchers estimate that over half of all sea turtles in the world have ingested plastic. And a single piece of plastic has a 20% chance of killing them. If sea turtles disappear from the ocean, it wouldn’t only be a huge loss for future human generations but it would also threaten the longevity of other marine life. Scientists believe that sea turtle species are essential to the health of marine ecosystems.
Even though the situation is urgent for the sea turtles, it’s important to remember that there is still hope. Together we can help save the sea turtles and it all starts from your home: Reduce. Every plastic piece you don’t buy, is one less piece of plastic that can end up in the ocean. If you stop buying plastic, you’ll send a signal to companies all over the world to reduce their plastic packaging. Avoid single-use plastic. Use a reusable shopping bag instead of a plastic bag and opt for a reusable or paper straw instead of a plastic one. Watch out for hidden plastics like tea bags, chewing gum, wet wipes and takeaway coffee “paper” cups. Take away paper cups are often lined with plastic. Avoid microplastic. Plastic pieces smaller than 5 mm in length are called microplastics. Microplastics have been found everywhere from the deepest part in the Mariana trench to inside animals and humans. Recycle. Even though plastic can cause harm, it is still a valuable resource. Since it is not biodegradable, rather sort your garbage and send your recyclable plastic to a new life. That way, it is being reused and discourages the production of more.
https://www.projects-abroad.org/blog/how-we-can-help-save-sea-turtles/
https://www.seeturtles.org/ocean-plastic