“The greatest threat to our planet is the the ocean are negatively affected by plastic waste.
belief that someone else will save it,” said author Another reason that litter must stop reaching
Robert Swan. Have you ever wondered where your the ocean is because it can also be hazardous to
trash goes, whether you throw it away or drop it on humans. While some have thought that plastic
the ground? This is something to seriously would only decompose at high temperatures,
consider. Unfortunately, waste and trash have scientists have recently discovered that they will
become a massive problem in the ocean because decompose even in lower temperatures. When this
people all over the world are littering on land as plastic decomposes, it leaves traces of chemicals
well in the water. Litter must stop, or trash will such as bisphenol A. Plastic that is used in
continuously build up in the ocean. Styrofoam, DVD cases, and other items was also
When trash reaches the ocean, it affects found in samples of ocean water. These plastics
marine animals in many harmful ways. For are also full of potentially cancerous chemicals, and
example, many animals are dying because they are when ingested by animals, they could get into their
ingesting plastic waste. There have been many systems. Eating fish that have these harmful
whales that have died on separate occasions, and substances in their systems can affect humans.
upon investigation, many pounds of plastic were According to National Geographic, these chemicals
found in their stomachs. Others have found sea become more concentrated when contaminated
turtles dead because of fishing gear, plastic animals eat other contaminated animals. This could
products, and various other wastes that they have be bad news for those at the top of the food
ingested. Whales and other creatures regularly get chain—humans.
caught in old and new fishing gear, which can lead On the one hand, it is more work to be sure
to starvation or drowning. Additionally, seabirds that waste is properly recycled and disposed of.
consume plastic, sometimes mistaking it for food. Some cities offer recycling services, but for others,
This often has deadly effects. According to National it is up to the citizens to do the extra work and get
Geographic, many of these animals often mistake waste to a recycling facility. Even with the extra
plastic bags for jellyfish in the open ocean, and work though, the benefits of recycling and
they try to swallow them, usually leading to disposing of waste far outweigh the cons of having
suffocation. Well over 200 species in and around to put forth some extra work and effort. If trash
continues to build up in the ocean, animals will
continue suffering and even going extinct, and
humans will continue possibly eating contaminated
meat. If people all over the world would band
together and properly dispose of waste, so many
problems could be put to a stop before too much
damage is done.
If humans do not stop littering all over the
world, waste will only become worse over time, and
the oceans will continue to accumulate it. Animals
and humans would benefit greatly from everyone
pitching in and doing their part. Recycling is
necessary for our oceans to recover and to thrive.