Oceans at risk: The TRUTH About Plastic Pollution

Remember that plastic straw you used last night to drink your sprite? Where do you think that's gonna end up in a few days? Yup, the oceans and beaches.

Our habit of overconsuming plastic is turning the oceans into a deadly garbage dump for marine life. This has created an overwhelming global crisis of plastic waste– just look at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – it's a crazy example.

But if you think that’s insane, then get a load of THIS:

• This behemoth contains approximately 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic debris. Isn’t that absolutely psychotic?

• This plastic pollution affects animals like turtles (an example you have DEFINITELY heard of).

• In fact, roughly 1,00 turtles die every year by means of a slow terrible death, either by mistakenly eating it, becoming entangled in its grip, or suffering its toxic consequences.

Extra (really just my opinion): I’ve seen a lot of people bringing this fact to awareness...but never saw anyone taking an initiative or any charge.

And to be COMPLETELY honest, it’s not only turtles facing the same issue:

• Whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic bags, mistaking them for jellyfish

• Seabirds ingest bottle caps and other debris, their chicks often starving with bellies full of indigestible plastic

• Even the smallest organisms, like plankton, are consuming microplastics.

• A lot of these activities are leading to concerns about the entire marine food web.

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A lot of this also concerns the fish WE eat:

• Fish consume plastic, so there's a real risk that humans who eat fish meat could also be ingesting these plastics— microplastics, to be specific. 

•  This can potentially introduce harmful chemicals and particles into our own food chain

Alright, now you must be thinking: 

“Okay it’s scary but what can I even do about it? One person can’t make that huge of a difference.” 

Then you must have it wrong, one person switching from plastics to biodegradables can make a huge difference. 

As much as we dont notice it, we’re producing plastic waste daily. Chips packets, drinking water from plastic bisleri bottles, coke cans, etc. 

Now you’re probably wondering:

“BRO but what can I even do??”

A lot. You can do A LOT. To give a kickstart, these are the initiatives you can take for a cleaner ocean and maybe a cleaner future:

• First of all, you can consider switching to reusable items over single use plastic items, carry reusable shopping bags, water bottles, and tiffins

• Say no to freebies. Yes I get that it's super fun to receive a special something like a promotional keychain or pen, but it's a lot of unnecessary plastic.

• Buy local, they use less packaging since the travel distance is shorter and it goes directly from the producers to the consumers. 

• Support  organisations such as Maza Maharashtra Mission, a small donation can make a huge difference. 

• DO NOT LITTER!!  Even sensibly throwing a small wrapping from a new toy can make a huge difference

• Choose natural fabrics as synthetic fabrics shed microplastics when washed. 

Bonus: OR use a microfiber filter on your washing machine. This can capture some of the microplastics released during washing.

Our plastic habit is turning oceans into deadly garbage dumps, harming marine life from turtles to fish and even entering our food chain. 

Every piece of plastic we use contributes to this overwhelming crisis, evident in massive garbage patches. We have the power, the responsibility to change, we just need the will. 

I hope this article proved to be helpful and these new ways of being are useful! Even a small initiative, change or a donation, can make a huge difference!

We fed the oceans with plastic sins,

now wonder why it coughs

On what tides bring in.

We watch it get choked.

With every minute slipping by-

the waves forgot to behave.

It's an endless cycle-

feed, regret, repeat-

no one hears the ocean's silent plea. ~Ananya Pande

Regards,

Gurmehar Khandpur,

Editorial and Research,

Maza Maharashtra Mission