I bet you already knew this, but without the ocean we would not be able to survive on this planet. Planet Earth, made up of at least 71% water. From the air that goes into our lungs to the water we drink, the ocean water is involved, and it is being polluted. We as humans must address this issue and do something about the problem of ocean pollution. What is causing all this pollution? Chemical spills, sewage, and plastics are a very few ways humans, pollute the ocean. According to Scubadiving.com, 1.15 tons of trash flows into the ocean by a river which is a very alarming number. How can our ocean survive with this amount of debris dumped into our oceans? Unfortunately, ocean pollution keeps growing and growing. As teens, we have a responsibility to lead the way and make change. I’m proposing 3 ways, all focused on plastics, to lead the change and to stop the pollution, imbalance, and illness of our ocean. First of all, we must reduce our use of plastics. Secondly, recycle properly, and lastly, start banning uses of plastics or materials used that are just thrown into the ocean.

Plastic is used a lot in today's society, from the containers our shampoo comes in to the containers of food from the grocery store. Our society is a disposable society, and most of what we dispose of is made from plastic.  Plastics are detrimental to the environment. The use of plastics and the way we dispose of them is hurting the life and world around us and even ourselves. Research done by Montana State University says that “the toxins in plastic affect the ocean, by acting like sponges, they soak up other toxins from outside sources before entering the ocean. As these chemicals are ingested by animals in the ocean, this is not good for humans. We as humans ingest contaminated fish and mammals.” This shows how not only does the use of plastic affect the ocean and the animals that live in or around the ocean, but it also affects us as humans. Toxins enter the ocean and then toxins enter our body because of plastic and the way we dispose of plastics. It needs to change. By decreasing our use of so much plastic, we can change the ocean’s health along with our own.

Recycling is not something I see people do often. At school, the amount of waste that is produced is astounding and very little of it gets recycled. Even I, until a few years ago, used to just throw stuff that is recyclable into the trash can or trash into the recycling, because I thought it wasn’t that big of a deal. I’m surprised that so many cities still don’t support a city wide recycling program. This is a must. Let me tell you that recycling is a very big deal. A study done by the Oceanic Society states that “...just 9% of plastic is recycled worldwide.” That's an enormous amount of plastic that isn't recycled, and a lot of it ends up in the ocean. Once that plastic touches the ocean, it leaches chemicals and causes fish and wildlife many issues. If we, as humans, do our part and recycle, we change not only our ocean but our entire planet and every living thing on it.

Now, we wouldn’t have to worry so much about reducing or recycling plastic if some uses of plastics would just be banned. If people didn’t use plastic, it can be a big help when it comes to returning our ocean to its natural beauty and the health of our planet to a thriving state. How difficult is it to bring our own bags to stores? Thankfully, multiple cities have banned plastic bags, such as Portland and San Francisco. Even locally, grocery stores are now charging for the use of each plastic bag. Sadly, that is not enough to put a stop to this. In a study done by unpe.org, it states, “Researchers estimate that more than 8.3 billion tons of plastic has been produced since the early 1950s. About 60% of that plastic has ended up in either a landfill or the natural environment.” When you think about how much plastic that is, it becomes mind blowing. That one fact just shows why we need bans on plastic and why we as humans need to work together and stop the infection of this ocean and the toxic overload on all living things. When we are spending out money, we need to pay attention to the products we are buying. What are they make of? How much are we buying cheap, plastic products. We must think and act differently. 

So what will you do? Will you take charge of your health and the planet’s health and change the way you consume and dispose of plastics? Or will you just ignore the alarming data and effects and continue to allow plastics to take over our lives? We can make a difference. By reducing our use of plastics, recycling, and support bans of certain products made from plastic, we can lead the change and help the health of our planet.