10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Use to Help the Oceans

How to Minimize Your Impact on a Growing Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch

May 6, 2009 Kirsti A. Dyer

Because plastic is 100% non-biodegradable, plastic items that are used every day are finding their way into our water ways and creating the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.

While the advent of plastics has been a boon for manufacturers and industry, plastics have caused havoc on our environment. Plastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that can be used in manufacturing a wide array of products across many different industries.

Plastics are non-biodegradable, forever products, that because they have been carelessly tossed and not recycled are cluttering up our oceans creating the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.

There are several steps that can be taken as an individual and as a family to minimize one's impact on this floating island of trash. Much of it involves reducing the amount of plastics used and recycling what can be recycled.

A great part of the problem is that there are a lot of plastic products being made from non-recyclable plastics. Compounding this problem is that currently only a small percentage of all recyclable plastic products are actually being recycled.

Sources of Ocean Debris

Knowing the types of trash that are making their way to the ocean is one way of helping to reduce the trash at the source. In September 2008, the Ocean Conservancy held one of their International Coastal Cleanups. They kept track of the most common types of debris found world wide. The leading sources of trash found included:

Cigarettes and filters
Plastic bags
Food wrappers and containers
Caps and lids
Plastic bottles

As part of their cleanup more than 3,000,000 cigarettes and filters were picked up, more than 1,000,000 plastic bags and nearly 1,000,000 food wrappers and containers.

There are other ways that you and your family can reduce your garbage production and reduce your impact on the great growing garbage patch.

General Ways of Reducing Your Impact on the Garbage Patch

Become more mindful of plastic consumption and trash production - One of the best ways of reducing your impact is to become more aware of your consumption and production of trash.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - The mantra for our century. Reduce what you buy and avoid products with excessive packaging, especially disposable ones. Reuse what you can. Recycle all available products.

Reducing Use of Plastic Materials

Say "no" to plastic grocery bags - Plastic bags are a leading source of ocean garbage. Purchase and BYOB (bring your own reusable tote bags) when buying groceries.
Stop buying and using bottled water - Plastic bottles are another source of marine debris. Make your own filtered water from your own tap and carry it in aluminum containers. If you do buy bottled water, make sure the bottle gets recycled!
Say "no" to plastic snack bags, baggies and sandwich bags - Cloth napkins, wax paper or reusable sandwich bags and boxes can be used in place of their plastic equivalents.

Reducing Plastic Purchasing by Looking for Earth-Friendly Options

Purchase items in bulk with less packaging - Avoid individually wrapped food servings, or make your own using reusable containers.
Think durable not disposable - Durable or reusable options are better than disposable; reducing the number of throwaways means less landfill space and more marine debris.
Purchase items made of recycled materials - Buying items made of recycled materials that can also be recycled is another way of reducing the amount of ocean garbage.
Buy food that is produced locally - Attend a local farmers market and bring your own reusable bags. Purchasing food locally helps cut down on transportation costs and the amount of plastic used to transport food items at a distance.

Reduce the Plastic Garbage that Goes in the Storm Drains

Watch what goes into the storm drains - People who leave near the ocean or a river or stream that ultimately drains into the ocean should be aware that whatever trash that goes into the storm drains ends up washing out into the sea.

10 Ways You Can Minimize Your Family's Impact

To summarize the 10 ways to minimize your family's impact on the growing Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch:

Become more mindful of plastic consumption and trash production.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Say "no" to plastic grocery bags.
Stop buying and using bottled water.
Say "no" to plastic snack bags, baggies and sandwich bags.
Purchase items in bulk with less packaging.
Think durable not disposable.
Purchase items made of recycled materials.
Buy food that is produced locally.
Watch what goes into the storm drains.

Encouraging people to not use those products that are filling up the oceans and making sure that they are recycling the products the do use are good places to start making a difference. Reducing your use of bottles and plastic bags reduces your impact on the Growing Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.

Organizations Helping the Ocean

These are some of the leading organizations working to help clean up the floating debris and save our oceans:

Algalita Marine Research Foundation - Marine Research, Education and Restoration
Ocean Conservancy - Start a Sea Change
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Monterey Bay Aquarium: Save the Oceans - Center for the Future of the Oceans
Green Sangha - Inspiring Awakened Action

Resources

Dyer KA. A Look at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Suite 101.

GreenPeace. October 2006. Trashing Our Oceans: What You can Do. Defending Our Oceans News.

Green Sangah. What you can do about plastic pollution.

Ocean Conservancy. Living Responsibly.

The copyright of the article 10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Use to Help the Oceans in Parenting Resources is owned by Kirsti A. Dyer. Permission to republish 10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Use to Help the Oceans in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.