I recently watched a screening of a documentary called “A Plastic Ocean.” To say it gave me a wake-up call about what is happening to our oceans would be an understatement. I caught myself shaking my head at the things I was seeing because I could not believe what our actions as humans are doing to the ocean’s inhabitants. What frustrated me even more was the fact that I realized that I am part of this problem that affects the quality of life of seabirds, sea turtles, whales and so many of the other beautiful creatures that roam our oceans. I learned that there are so many simple things we can do to help lessen the amount of waste that ends up in the sea, so here are five ways you can start making a difference in your day-to-day lives!
1. Reusable Grocery Bags
It’s something so simple to do but such a small number of people actually commit to doing it! According to research, about 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide every year and are one of the leading factors in the 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris that fill our oceans. Pick a couple of them up the next time you’re at the store and keep them in your trunk so that they start becoming part of your weekly grocery shopping trip!
Courtesy: Star Tribune
2. Reusable Water Bottles
If you think about it, investing $25 on a reusable water bottle will actually end up saving you a lot of money that would add up from buying multiple cases of water! You can purchase an amazing S’well water bottle that keeps water cold for up to 24 hours on their website.
Courtesy: Ali Express
3. Food Storage
Switch out your Ziploc bags for containers! They are compact, eco-friendly and reusable so you don’t have to keep buying and throwing away like you do with plastic bags.
Courtesy: US Plastics
4. Avoid Single-Use Items
Solo cups, plastic cutlery and straws are just a few items that even if you feel like you can’t cut out of your life completely, you can still reuse them! The next time you throw a pregame, collect all of those cups, wash them and reuse them the next time. This is also another way to save money on a college budget, which is something we all want!
Courtesy: Fabulous Party Supplies
5. Recycle
It may seem obvious, but there is still a large percentage of our population that does not recycle. Don’t be lazy about it! Take the extra second to think about if the item is recyclable and if it is, throw it in the bin that it applies to!
Courtesy: Vector Stock
If you are interested in finding out more about what our oceans look like today and how to make a difference, check out the documentary’s website here!