According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, 22 million pounds of plastics enter the Great Lakes each year, which accounts for 90% percent of the litter profile on our beaches.
Scientists have found plastic in every living organism they have studied from our largest creatures, whales, to the smallest, zooplankton. Large pieces of plastic frequently entangle animals like snakes, birds, and marine and land mammals.
In Ohio, the most common items entangling our wildlife are fishing line, nets, and landscape mesh. Microplastics (plastic pieces that are 5mm or smaller) are being found in the gut contents of birds, fish, mammals and even humans.
The most commonly found microplastics in organisms are plastic fibers from our synthetic clothing such as fleece jackets or other polypropylene materials.
A plastic littered planet does not need to be the norm. If we use less plastic and use more reusable items instead of disposable items, plastics, and more importantly, single-use plastics, we can make a difference together.
We are the solution to plastic pollution. It is time we work together to move away from single use plastics and a throwaway society and move towards sustainable living and improved waste management practices.