AQUARIUM NEWS
SKIP
THE
STRAW
Discover why your your last straw can be a first step towards saving the ocean from a devastating plastic pollution crisis.
S
ingle-use plastic is everywhere these days. You’ll find cheap but durable materials like plastic cutlery, cups and packaging in almost every store and home around the world. Unfortunately, you’ll also find plastic scattered throughout the ocean, where these artificial materials are causing some very real problems. As plastic is used and mindlessly discarded, it piles up in our landfills, and because of mismanaged waste disposal, it often ends up in the ocean. Today, plastic makes up more than 80 percent of all pollution in the ocean, and by 2050, if nothing is done, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
SPRING 2019
So how do we begin to turn the tide on the rising threat of plastic pollution? Well, you start with replacing something small, like a plastic straw. This “first step” can be help eliminate countless plastic straws from entering the ocean, and better yet, can pave the way for bigger, even more meaningful ways to get rid of plastic. Through the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, we’re encouraging others to follow our lead in skipping the straw, a small act that can make a big difference for the ocean. Join us on our plastic-free journey and take the pledge by texting PLASTIC to 49767. You can also take the pledge at www.ourhands.org.
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