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Nicole Childress

Professor Burleson

English 1302

25 July 2018

How to Reduce Plastic in the Oceans (Plastic Reduction: Ocean Life Depends on It)

“There are millions of tons of debris floating around in that water—and most of it is

plastic” (Engler). When someone just set down that cup in the parking lot, and we forget it, that

cup will end up in the oceans. “Most ocean pollution starts out on land and is carried by wind

and rain to the sea” (biological diversity). Not only does plastic look like food for (to) sea

animals, it smells, feels, and even sounds like food for (to) them. People must start making an

effort to stopping (I think this is one I originally made a comment about. You could use: People

must start making an effort to stop or People must make an effort to stopping) the amount of

plastic in the oceans. With so many ways to reduce the amount of plastic we could easily solve

the problem in the coming years. Just say no, “Saying no to straws, buying in bulk and bringing

your own reusable bags grocery shopping are just a few of the many ways you can cut down on

the amount of plastic you’re consuming” (Henn). Big corporations are the ones going to make

the biggest impact. Humans are making the effort to stop it.

Plastic ends up in up in the oceans by humans and only humans (or use: humans alone).

“Once plastic is in our oceans, it flows on ocean currents all across the world – so even

uninhabited islands in the Pacific and the Arctic are becoming dumping grounds for plastic”

(Casson). People don’t think about that little island off in the distance, that island is the home to

many birds and other species of the ocean. Sometimes, people don’t even know that we are

polluting the waters because we can’t see the damage being done, plastic in the little things we
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don’t even think about that’s what truly is harming the oceans “While soaking up the relaxing

cadence of crashing waves on the beach, no one wants to think about how the ocean has basically

become garbage soup” (Engler). The easiest way plastic gets straight into the oceans is by

people leaving things on the beach and not cleaning up after themselves. Leave with what you

came with. Plastic water bottles, they are the worst and one of the most common things on (in)

the water. “Each year, close to 20 billion plastic bottles are tossed in the trash” (Engler). Don’t

use the (delete) plastic water bottles, get a reusable one even if it has a filter drink any water that

is available (this part doesn’t make sense to me). Watching what everyone uses daily and

watching where people throw things will make a huge difference.

To reduce the (delete) plastic in the ocean we must start somewhere. I think that

somewhere could be cutting back on the number of plastic cups and bags we use.

Wherever you live, the easiest and most direct way that you can get started is by reducing

your own use of single-use plastics. Single-use plastics include plastic bags, water

bottles, straws, cups, utensils, dry cleaning bags, take-out containers, and any other

plastic items that are used once and then discarded (Hutchison).

That’s one of seven (I would take out seven unless you’re giving the other 6 reasons in this

essay. Say: That’s just one of the many easy ways) easy ways to solve the plastic issues (delete

“s” in issues because you’re only discussing one issue. The issue of plastic in the ocean). Recycle

(Recycling) it (delete) should be an easy one for most but it’s not. Somehow, “when you use

single-use (and other) plastics that can be recycled, always be sure to recycle them. This helps

keep them out of the ocean and reduces the amount of “new” plastic in circulation” (Hutchison).

To make this easier they should have recycle bins by every trash can in the world. Microbeads

are the worst plastics out there, they are the tiny little beads in face wash, body wash and
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toothpaste. When they go down the drains they don’t get caught in the (filtering system of the)

water management facilities. Without knowing, the fish swallow them and it ends up killing

them. When going out for fast-food and ordering easy takeout for the night you are polluting the

water.

Not only is it healthier but making your own meals doesn’t involve take out containers or

doggy bags. For those times when you do order in or eat out, tell the establishment you

don’t need any plastic cutlery or, for some serious extra credit, bring your own food-

storage containers to restaurants for leftovers (Engler).

Something so easy but not done very often. Buying in bulk saves so many plastic items from

being used. “Single-serving yogurts, travel-size toiletries, tiny packages of nuts—consider the

product-to-packaging ratio of items you tend to buy often and select the bigger container instead

of buying several smaller ones over time” (Engler). The people that want to help but don’t know

how, these are perfect ways.

For people that want to do more than just saving (recycle or use less) plastic, they can

take (by taking) a stand. “If you believe a company could be smarter about its packaging, make

your voice heard. Write a letter, send a tweet, or hit them where it really hurts: Give your money

to a more sustainable competitor” (Engler). Join groups (that are) trying to stop the plastic (issue)

and get the EPA to see what they (change “they” to: these companies) are doing; there is (are) so

many (government) acts (what acts? government? give ownership to “acts” or are you using

“acts” as a verb? As in “actions”? If using it as a verb change “acts” to “actions”) and different

groups out there trying to help and stop the spread of plastic (in our oceans). “There are many

non-profit organizations working to tackle the problem of ocean plastic pollution in a variety of

different ways, including Oceanic Society, Plastic Pollution Coalition, 5 Gyres, Algalita, Plastic
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Soup Foundation, and others” (Hutchison). Support bans in the community. Some places are

already acting and placing bands (bans) on plastic bags. Some states are not even carrying plastic

bags, you have to bring your own bag or pay a fee for a bag from them.

Sea turtles eat jellyfish, jellyfish look just like this object floating in the water. When

there is a plastic bag in the water it just looks like an object (a jellyfish) floating in the water the

sea turtles food, so what do you think the sea turtle sees? (what’s this? All things look like some

kind of an object. Be specific on what the jellyfish looks like. You can say: Sea turtles eat

jellyfish and jellyfish look just like plastic bags floating in the water. So, when there is a plastic

bag floating in the water it resembles a jellyfish, a type of food for sea turtles; what do you think

the sea turtles sees?) Most sea turtles are dying from ingesting plastic bags in the ocean. Plastic

in the ocean doesn’t just look like food it also smells, feels, and even sounds like food. One sense

pecan (ocean) life has is echolocation (does all ocean life have this sense? I would reword this

sentence to: One of the many senses of ocean life is echolocation, which is the ability to locate

objects by reflected sound.)

Echolocation is known to be incredibly sensitive, and yet dozens of sperm whales

and other toothed whales have been found dead with stomachs full of plastic bags,

car parts and other human detritus. Savoca says it’s likely their echolocation

misidentifies these objects as food (Gabbatiss).

Seabirds go to their food based on smell “algae grow on floating plastic, and when that algae are

eaten by krill – a major marine food source – it releases DMS, attracting birds and fish that then

munch on the plastic instead of the krill they came for” (Gabbatiss). DMS is the chemical

released by algae and it attacks (attracts) the seabirds to it. So many types of plastics are out

there and each one looks like a different species in the ocean. “Our rubbish comes in such a
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range of shapes, sizes and colors that it appeals to a similarly diverse array of animals, and this is

the problem” (Gabbatiss). Plastic hasn’t always been in the ocean, it just came into view a while

ago. Animals have always used their senses to hunt for food; that doesn’t stop because there are

foreign objects in the ocean. Sadly, the animals can’t tell the difference when hunting.

“From the tiniest plankton to the largest whales, plastics impact nearly 700 species in our

ocean” (ocean conservancy). Harming the animals is the main reason people need to get plastic

out of the oceans. Cutting down on the plastic used in the world would help a lot more than

people think. People throw so much plastic away and that total is 8 million tons in the ocean a

year.

Did you know that implementing waste collection and recycling globally can not only

address the issue of ocean plastic pollution but can improve public health by preventing

the spread of infectious disease, reducing respiratory illnesses from open-air burning of

waste, and prevent food chain contamination of both livestock and fish and shellfish”

(ocean conservancy)

Humans can do this just by not using plastic cups, straws, and plastic bags. If people would just

take a bigger step and fight with protest and bans on plastic. The amount of plastic in the oceans

would be reduced by so much in just a year. Signing petitions to the EPA and other business

(incomplete sentence). Signing the petitions would get the bug (big) corporations and business

(businesses) to see what har (harm) they are doing, and (that) they need to stop. Join a group that

fights to minimize plastic products and helps clean up the water (oceans,) (using “water” covers

all bodies of water) and (delete) beaches, even cleaning up the (delete) (and) rivers. “In fact,

plastic production and consumption are predicted to double over the next 10 years” (ocean

conservancy). Let’s prove that prediction wrong and change the ways we live. “That means that
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if we don’t do something now, we could be facing 250 million metric tons in the ocean in less

than 10 years. “We can’t stand by and watch the impacts of this tidal wave of plastic heading our

way—neither failure nor inaction is an option” (Ocean conservancy).

This is not a problem animals can solve for themselves, they cannot choose not to eat the

plastic when it looks, smells, feels, and sounds like there (their) food. Humans must fight for the

animals and find ways to help in their daily lives and things they do (delete). The population can

do this, they just need to put (their) mind to it and not stop thinking about, for one second, that

making the better choice for the environment is there in the fore front. That way when choosing

what you eat for dinner rather than choosing takeout, make the smarter choice. Though it won’t

be easy, but (delete) feeling better about it is way more satisfying, (and our ocean life depends on

it.)
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Works Cited

Casson, Louisa. “How Does Plastic End up in the Ocean?” GREENPEACE New Zealand, 23 Aug.

2017, www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/story/how-does-plastic-end-up-in-the-ocean/.

Engler, Sarah. “10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution.” NRDC, 5 Jan. 2016,

www.nrdc.org/stories/10-ways-reduce-plastic-pollution.

Gabbatiss, John. “Why Marine Animals Can't Stop Eating Plastic.” Our Blue Planet, 2018,

ourblueplanet.bbcearth.com/blog/?article=why-do-marine-animals-eat-plastic.

Henn, Corrine. “These 5 Marine Animals Are Dying Because of Our Plastic Trash ... Here's How

We Can Help.” One Green Planet, 5 Feb. 2017,

www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/marine-animals-are-dying-because-of-our-

plastic-trash/.

Hutchinson, Brian. “Oceanic Society.” 7 Ways To Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today, 2017,

www.oceanicsociety.org/blog/1720/7-ways-to-reduce-ocean-plastic-pollution-today\.

The Endangered Species Act: A Wild Success, 2016,

www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/.

“Plastics in the Ocean.” Ocean Conservancy, 2018, oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/plastics-

in-the-ocean/.