Meghan Hodges
Our oceans are in crisis, and it's important that everyone, including kids, takes action to protect them. Oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface and are home to over 250,000 different species of animals. Unfortunately, human activity has led to ocean pollution, which harms marine life and damages their habitats. Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats, with an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic ending up in the ocean each year. This plastic waste can entangle marine animals, be mistakenly eaten by them, and even end up in the food we eat. To stop ocean pollution, we need to reduce plastic use, properly dispose of waste, and advocate for legislation that improves waste management and reduces plastic production. Kids can play a crucial role in protecting our oceans by making small changes, such as using less plastic, saying no to plastic straws, reusing items, recycling, and joining beach clean-up efforts. These actions, along with educating themselves about the issue, can make a significant impact in preserving the health of our oceans and the incredible biodiversity they support.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reduce plastic usage | Use reusable straws, bottles, and bags |
| Properly dispose of toxic chemicals | Herbicides, pesticides, and cleaning products |
| Reduce water usage | Prevent excess runoff and wastewater from flowing into the ocean |
| Choose sustainable seafood | |
| Use fuel-efficient vehicles | Carpool or ride a bike |
| Choose energy-efficient light bulbs | |
| Respect marine life | Do not touch or feed wildlife, and try not to disturb nesting sites or natural habitats |
| Volunteer for cleanups | At the beach and in your community |
| Support legislation | Support local, national, and international legislation that provides critical solutions to reduce plastic pollution |
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What You'll Learn
Reduce plastic use
Plastic is cheap and efficient, which is why it has become such an essential part of our daily lives. However, with such widespread use of plastic comes pollution, which is harming our oceans and all the marine animals that live in them.
Reusable water bottles
Nearly one million plastic drink bottles are sold around the world every minute. Instead of buying plastic drink bottles, carry a reusable water bottle that you can keep refilling.
Say no to plastic straws
Animals may accidentally eat plastic straws, mistaking them for food. These small bits of plastic can make them sick and leave no room for real food in their bellies. You can use reusable straws made from bamboo, metal, or glass, or make your own colourful paper straws.
Reuse plastic
Try to reuse plastic items instead of throwing them away. For example, a plastic drinking bottle can be used as a planter for your garden.
Recycle
If you can't reuse plastic, you can recycle it. Recycling is when waste is turned into useful materials for something else. For example, old plastic can be shredded and used to make new bags, rugs, plant pots, dog collars, or shoes.
Pick up litter
Rubbish left on the ground often blows into ponds and rivers and eventually makes its way to the ocean. Grab a parent, head outside, and help keep the natural world clean by picking up rubbish! Just be careful to always wear protective gloves and never grab anything that looks sharp or dangerous.
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Reuse plastic items
Reusing plastic items is a great way to reduce plastic waste and help protect our oceans. Plastic is a big problem for the ocean and the animals that live there. Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic end up in the sea, where it can harm marine life and pollute the water. Plastic can take hundreds of years to break down, so it is important to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible.
One way to reuse plastic is to say no to plastic straws and bring your own reusable straws made from bamboo, metal, or glass. You can even make your own colourful paper straws! Another idea is to use a refillable water bottle instead of buying plastic bottles. You can also turn plastic bottles into something useful, like a planter for your garden or a bird feeder. Ask an adult to help you cut the plastic safely.
When you go to the beach, make sure to take your rubbish home with you and check that you haven't left anything behind, like litter, food, toys, or plastic containers. You can also join a beach cleanup and help pick up litter on the beach or near ponds and rivers. Always wear protective gloves and be careful of sharp objects.
At home, you can reuse plastic items in creative ways. For example, you can use plastic containers for arts and crafts or to store small items. You can also ask your parents to help you find ways to reuse plastic items instead of throwing them away. Remember, reducing plastic waste is important for the health of our oceans and the planet!
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Recycle plastic waste
Plastic pollution is a huge problem for our oceans and planet. Every year, a massive amount of plastic waste is produced—about 300 million to 400 million tonnes! This plastic ends up in landfills and oceans, where it stays for hundreds to thousands of years, harming wildlife and the environment. So, what can we do about it? One important solution is to recycle plastic waste.
Recycling plastic waste is a process of turning plastic waste into new products. By recycling, we can reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean and landfills, saving energy and lowering threats to the environment and biodiversity. Recycling also helps save energy because less energy is needed to recycle plastic than to make new plastic items. For example, recycling a glass bottle can save enough energy to power a light bulb for four hours!
When it comes to plastic, not everything can be recycled. Plastic items like straws, utensils, and some packaging cannot be recycled. However, many other plastic items can be recycled and given a new life. Plastic items are usually marked with a recycling symbol and a number from 1 to 7, indicating the type of chemicals used and how recyclable they are. The lower the number, the more recyclable it is. For example, plastic items marked with numbers 1 and 2, such as water bottles and shampoo bottles, are widely recycled in many countries.
To recycle plastic waste, you can start by checking with your local recycling program to see what specific plastic items they collect. Then, separate your plastic waste according to their recycling symbols and numbers. Clean and rinse the plastic items to remove any residue, and then place them in your recycling bin. Remember to also reduce your plastic consumption and reuse plastic items whenever possible. Together, we can all work towards reducing plastic pollution and keeping our oceans clean!
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Avoid single-use plastics
Plastic is everywhere and is very useful to us in our daily lives. However, plastic is also one of the greatest threats to the health of our oceans. Every year, around 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean. That's like 100,000 double-decker buses' worth of plastic!
Plastic pollution is harmful to the ocean and the many creatures that live there. Sea turtles, whales, seabirds, fish, coral reefs, and many other marine animals and habitats are affected by plastic pollution. These animals may get trapped in plastic waste or mistake plastic for food. When they eat plastic, it makes them very sick and leaves no room in their tummies for proper food.
So, what can we do to help? One way is to avoid using single-use plastics. Single-use plastics are items that are made of plastic and are only used once before being thrown away. Here are some ways you can avoid using single-use plastics:
- Say no to plastic straws. Straws can be harmful to animals, who may mistake them for food. You can use reusable straws made from bamboo, metal, or glass, or even make your own colourful paper straws!
- Use a reusable water bottle. Instead of buying drinks in plastic bottles, bring your own bottle and refill it when needed. This helps reduce the amount of plastic waste.
- Bring your own bags. When shopping, bring reusable bags made from fabric or other materials instead of using plastic bags. This reduces the amount of plastic you use.
- Avoid plastic packaging. When buying food or other items, try to choose products with minimal plastic packaging. For example, you can buy fruit and vegetables that are loose instead of packaged in plastic.
- Reuse and recycle. If you do have plastic items, try to reuse them whenever possible. For example, you can use plastic bottles as planters for your garden. When you can't reuse plastic, make sure to recycle it properly by sending it to a recycling centre.
By avoiding single-use plastics and making these small changes, you can help reduce plastic pollution in our oceans and protect the marine animals and their habitats!
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Pick up litter
Picking up litter is a great way to help stop ocean pollution. When rubbish is left on the ground, it can blow into ponds and rivers and eventually make its way to the ocean. So, grab a grown-up and head outside to pick up any litter you can find! Just make sure to always wear protective gloves and never touch anything that looks sharp or dangerous.
You can also help by making sure you don't leave any litter behind when you're out and about, especially at the beach. Ask a grown-up to help you double-check that you haven't left anything behind, like litter, food, toys, clothes, or containers. You can even go on a family litter walk before you head home and clean up anything that's been left on the beach.
Another way to reduce litter is to reuse and recycle materials, especially plastic. Plastic is a big problem for the ocean because it doesn't disappear quickly—it can take almost 450 years to decompose! So, try to use less plastic and reuse items whenever possible. For example, instead of buying plastic water bottles, carry a reusable water bottle that you can keep refilling. You can also send plastic waste to recycling centres, where it will be sorted, shredded, and used to make new things like bags, rugs, and plant pots.
Remember, these small actions can make a big difference in helping to stop ocean pollution and protecting the many wonderful creatures that call the ocean home.
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Frequently asked questions
The ocean is home to over 250,000 different species of animals, and they are all in danger due to pollution. Ocean pollution can make animals very sick, ruin their homes, and make it harder for them to find food.
Rubbish left on the ground often gets blown into ponds and rivers, which then flow into the ocean. Plastic is also dumped into the ocean or burnt, which pollutes the air and harms wildlife.
You can start by using less plastic and reusing the plastic items you already have. For example, use a reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic drink bottles. You can also say no to plastic straws and use reusable straws made from bamboo, metal, or glass instead.
You can volunteer for clean-ups at the beach and in your community. When you're at the beach, make sure to not leave anything behind, such as litter, food, toys, or containers. You can also encourage your family to produce less waste, use fuel-efficient vehicles, and choose energy-efficient light bulbs.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that makes the oceans more acidic. This contributes to the loss of corals and is harmful to species such as clams, mussels, and crabs, which build their shells from calcium carbonate. By reducing your carbon footprint, you can help decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and protect these marine organisms.
