Straws: Once on the Lips, Forever in our Oceans!

 According to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) approximately 8 million metric tons of plastic is deposited into the world’s oceans in a single year! Much of this pollution is single use plastics, such as straws, cups, bottles and bags, some of which is designed to be recycled. Not only do these items cause entanglement issues for wildlife, they are also consumed at all levels of the food chain, causing devastating mortality rates for many species. Some ways you can help at home are to switch from single use items to reusable items like metal straws, reusable water bottles and cloth bags. For items that can’t be reused, please ensure that you recycle them correctly.

OCRRA is Onondaga County’s resource for recycling, and they provide helpful guidelines to illustrate what is recyclable and what is garbage: https://ocrra.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2016/06/recycling-rules-080516.pdf

Another way you can help reduce plastic pollution includes purchasing products that have been produced from plastic waste found in the ocean like these face masks made by PADI gear: https://www.padigear.com/collections/padi-face-masks/mask

For more information concerning plastic pollution please visit Ourocean2017.org