Here are a few key facts to understand why plastic is a bigger threat than Trump:
- Plastic is the most common type of marine litter worldwide.
- Plastic is listed as the number one threat to our marine ecosystem.
- Over the last ten years we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century.
- Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth four times.
- Up to 80% of the plastic in our oceans comes from land-based sources.
- An estimated 5-13 million tons of plastic enter our oceans each year from land-based sources.
- 50 percent of the plastic we use, we use just once and throw away.
- We currently recycle only five percent of the plastics we produce and 1 in 5 bottles (globally)
- Recycling doesn't necessarily mean that the material is recycled, it could still end up being burned or in a landfill
- Plastic water bottles can take between 400 and 1,000 years to decompose
Here are a few simple tips:
- Drink tap water at home and at work. If you’re concerned about the quality of the tap water or don’t like the taste then buy a filter (see our guide)
- Avoid plastic bottle drinks and use glasses or water fountains whenever possible.
- Carry a refillable bottle when you are on the go and refill it whenever the option arises
- Do the research. Don’t fall for advertising that tells you bottled water is purer or healthier than tap water.
- Recycle – work out which plastics your municipality recycles and sort them accordingly
