How Bad Is The Ocean Pollution And What Can We Do About It?

Have you been to the beach lately? See any colorful fish, corals and other cool marine life?

Well, you might want to take a long good look, because 30 years from now, all that will probably be replaced by piles of heaping trash.

A recent report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicted that there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by the year 2050. And at our current rate of plastic consumption and wastage, it's not really a surprise.

Each year 4 billion pounds of trash make their way to our oceans--- that's equivalent to a truckload of garbage dumped in the ocean every single day. The plastic pollution has gone so bad that an island of trash has now formed in the north-central Pacific Ocean, aptly called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This swirling pile of garbage has now reportedly grown to twice the size of Texas and is logistically impossible to get rid of.

And that’s not even the worst part.

All that plastic waste that we see floating around barely scratches the surface--- quite literally. The majority of ocean trash actually end up sinking down to the ocean floor. The most common culprits include tyres, bottles, fishing nets, and the biggest killer of our oceans, single-use plastic.

We are literally turning the ocean into a dumping ground, and we’re slowly infecting our marine life with it. Right now, 1 out of 3 fish caught in the ocean is said to have microplastics in their systems. Yes, the problem has become so bad that we are actually eating microscopic pieces of plastic.

At this rate, the future looks dim…unless we do something about it.

What You Can Do To Help

Saving our oceans from the threat of plastic is a long and difficult journey, but we can all do something to contribute to the cause. Here are some ways to help save our oceans:

• Limit plastic consumption, especially of single-use plastics like sachets, disposable utensils, food packaging, straws and the like.Single-use plastics are hard to recycle and will stay on the planet for decades. Instead of using plastic, opt for reusable resources like metal straws and utensils when eating, and cloth bags for shopping. You can even bring your own reusable container for takeout food and drinks.

• Join river and beach cleanups. Most of the trash that make their way to the ocean come from beaches and land sources.

• Recycle! Until big corporations find a way to reduce their production of plastic, you can lift your own weight by recycling products like plastic bottles, cans, and the like.

• Support organizations and brands that help save the oceans. In our mission to save our seas from trash, Save The Oceans Now donates 10% of our earnings to organizations that clean the ocean and rescue marine life. Each sale of our eco-friendly and sustainable ocean-themed products goes a long way. Click here to know more about our products and see how you can help us help them.

Ocean pollution is really as bad as it sounds. There’s no way to sugarcoat this crisis. If the forecast is correct, we may be saying goodbye to marine life and hello to floating pieces of garbage by the year 2050.

But we can still do something about it. Do your part in keeping our oceans alive by reducing plastic waste, recycling, and raising awareness to the cause.