As citizen's of the world, and especially as residents of Hawai’i, putting an end to Marine Plastic Pollution is a top priority. For those who don’t live near the ocean, the realities of ocean pollution might not be an immediate concern. But it should be. The polluting of the ocean is harming more than just the marine life in it, but is a growing concern for the well-being of humans too. Our goal is to inform the world about this problem and help put a stop to it!
MARINE PLASTIC POLLUTION
What is it?
Plastic waste from humans ends up in the ocean. In fact, nearly 17.6 BILLION pounds of it. Yeah, that’s a lot.
In fact, at current pollution rates we’ll have more plastic than fish in our ocean by 2050.
The problem with plastic drifting through our seas is that it affects not only the ocean itself, but virtually all the marine life in it. In turn, because it affects our fish, it affects us.
Where’s
all this plastic coming from?
Majority of the plastic pollution found in our oceans are from small culprits that are easy to forget about. But little things add up, and next thing we know, there’s a serious problem on our hands.
Some of the most common contributors to ocean pollutions are:
1.
Caps and Lids
2.
Food wrappers and containers
3.
Plastic cutlery, plates, and cups
4.
Straws
5.
Beverage bottles
6.
Plastic bags
MICRO PLASTICS
Another polluter that can easily slip our radar is microfiber plastics (less than 5mm in diameter). Most of us have or has had a facial exfoliator with those little ‘scrubbing’ beads. Well, those are a perfect example of micro plastics that most of us don’t even notice. Those micro sized beads are found in more products than we’d think: deodorants, toothpastes, and of course facial products! Those little beads are made of plastic and make their way down the drain and right into our seas. Ending up in the mouths of fish, and then, right back into our food chain and into us.
Although our hygienic products do make their impact on the microfiber plastic population, even more often, most micro plastics in our ocean are just broken-down bits of bigger plastic pieces. Over years of intense sunlight and erosion from waves and sand, floating pieces of plastic break down into much smaller bits and then sink. An estimated 70% off all plastic pollution sinks down to our seabed, never to be recovered again.
So what? It’s at the bottom of our oceans, who is that gonna affect?
Jordi Chias/National Geographic
Marine Plastic Pollution has affected at least 267 species worldwide. Sea turtles, seals, sharks, whales, etc. All this excess junk in our oceans are posing serious threats to our marine life, injuries and even death. Ingestion, suffocation, infection, entanglement, starvation, and drowning are all the major consequences of our plastic pollution in the ocean.
Micro plastics eaten by our fish can be ridden with chemicals, and eventually those chemicals get eaten by other animals that eat fish. Including us. It's estimate that over a quarter of all fish in California fish markets have plastic in their guts. Sounds yummy, huh?
Michael Pitts/naturepl.com
THE REAL CONSEQUENCES OF PLASTIC POLLUTION
The following video displays graphic content, VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
How CAN I HELP?
Making slight changes to your daily routine or lifestyle is the best way to help end plastic pollution. Switching to bamboo toothbrushes, reusable straws, reusable grocery bags (Click to see ours!) are all really easy ways to cut down on your use of plastic! Participating in beach clean ups and eco-friendly fundraisers are a great way to get involved in the eco conscious community. Spreading the message also helps! Talking about these important subjects and bringing more attention to the damages plastics cause is the way we can make real change.
Learn more about how you can cut down plastic use in your life!
HOW IS MIZUCHI HELPING?
In addition to going plastic-free, Mizuchi Swimwear has also become a member of the Surfrider Foundation. The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit organization that focuses on the betterment of our coasts. From clean water, coastal preservation, plastic pollution, and ocean conservation, the Surfrider Foundation is making a huge difference to our coastal ecosystems nationwide.
10% of our quarterly earnings are donated to the Surfrider Foundation, that means 10% of each order is donated to the protection of our beaches and oceans. When you purchase from Mizuchi Swimwear, you are supporting the movement for plastic free oceans!
Read more about the Surfrider foundation! Click the image above!
