The ocean is a beautiful place that houses a lot of the world’s wildlife and crucial to our everyday lives. Unfortunately, our ocean has long been a victim of pollution and waste. Plastics and microplastics are major contaminants in the ocean. Animals mistake plastic and other waste as food and this ocean trash takes a long time to break down. When they do, they release toxic chemicals into the ocean.
Improper waste removal is another culprit of our polluted oceans and communities. For example, cooking oil can cause a lot of damage if it isn’t properly disposed. Tossing it down the sink can ruin local sewage. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cites many other awful side effects like forming toxic products and clogging water treatment plants.
There are many ways to combat ocean pollution at home. We can look for creative ways to reuse packaging instead of throwing it away. If we’re able to, we can try to go zero-waste (or, as zero-waste as possible!) to minimize the garbage we produce.
Slowing and eventually stopping the flow of trash into the ocean makes a big difference. However, there’s still much to do about the waste already floating in the ocean. Many inventors have come up with inventive ways to tackle our ocean’s trash problem. Florida Panhandle rounded up a list of amazing ways we’re cleaning the ocean.
Take a look at their infographic below to learn more.
