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By 2050 Oceans Will Have More Trash Than Fish

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By 2050 there will be more trash in the ocean than fish. That is a lot of pollution! And sadly, most of the trash is plastics as reported by the World Economic Forum.

They stated that up to 32 % of plastic waste becomes pollution in our rivers and oceans. Plastics do not decompose quickly and can survive in the environment for thousands of years.

Plastic pollution happens all over the world. This pollution is a danger to aquatic life. Sea turtles get caught in six pack plastic wrap and sea mammals swallow plastics and may die from a ruptured intestine. The GReen Turtle, an endangered species, has seen further reduced population due to ingesting plastics.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that up to of trash enters the waterways every year. This would be equivalent to a one ton truck load every minute, they reported. This problem is preventable by consumers reusing and recycling plastic items.

One item that is a problem are plastic grocery bags. Consumers can use reusable shopping bags instead.Plastic bags cause a problem to sea turtles as well. The turtles think the floating plastic bags are jellyfish and swallow them.  Plastic water and soda bottles can trap fish and cause starvation. Plastic bottles are easily recycled through a melting process. In fact, numerous items are now being made from recycled plastic.

photo(c) National Geographic

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