That rate is the equivalent of a dump truck pouring a load of plastic into the oceans every minute of every day.
At that rate, environmentalists have suggested there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans by 2050; meanwhile up to $120 billion of value is thrown away.
The “In Our Hands” initiative aims to educate consumers about a wide range of tactics they can adopt to stop the growth in plastic waste that has occurred worldwide since the early 1960s.
Some of the answers include using reusable plastic bottles, taking tote bags on shopping errands and refusing to use disposable straws (face it, you don’t need a straw unless you are under 8 years old or over 90).
[Ed note: lipstick-wearers may beg to differ!]
Some of the aquariums participating are the most well-known and respected institutions within this field, including the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Boston’s New England Aquarium and the Monterey Bay Aquarium on California’s Central Coast.
A study issued last fall estimated that up to 22 million pounds of plastic waste are entering the five Great Lakes annually; half of that amount has become washed up in Lake Michigan.
“We’re just beginning to understand the full impacts of ocean plastic pollution on ecosystems, marine life and human health.
But we already know enough to say that now is the time to act.” The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one example of how a well-respected institution can find success in taking on a more activist role.
Image credit: Nels Israelson/Flickr Recent headlines from the 4706 articles in this category: Based in Fresno, California, Leon Kaye is a business writer and strategic communications specialist.