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Sir David Attenborough “We have to act. We have to act now to try and clear up some of the appalling damage we have made to the ocean…and that is going to require positive action” Sir David Attenborough 2

3 Facts about Plastic Pollution: Over the last ten years we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century. 50% of the plastic we use, we use just once and throw away. Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth four times. In the UK over 35.8 million bottles are consumed each day, with 16 million of these failing to reach plastic recycling facilities. It takes 500-1,000 years for plastic to degrade. 3

One million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans. 44% of all seabird species, all sea turtle species and a growing list of fish species have been documented with plastic in or around their bodies Virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form (with the exception of the small amount that has been incinerated) Some of these compounds found in plastic have been found to alter hormones or have other potential human health effects 4

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We manufacture over 300 million tonnes of plastic a year – that is equivalent to the weight of the entire adult population of the planet. Half of that we use just once, sometimes only for a few seconds, and then we throw it away.  And while plastic is an amazingly versatile and useful product, it is virtually indestructible and production has outpaced the planets ability to deal with the waste we are producing.   6

 Landfill is not the answer and there are just not enough recycling facilities around to deal with it.   Poor waste management coupled with human neglect has resulted in plastic pollution covering our planet like a disease. Inevitably it is ending up in our lakes, rivers and oceans.   Plastic ends up in our oceans EVERY YEAR where it harms the whales, dolphins, turtles and seabirds that we love so much as well as countless other marine creatures. 7

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The Problem Many marine animals ingest ocean plastic pollution. Sometimes this is because the plastic pieces are mistaken for food, alternatively it may be because the animal has no choice but to consume them because of the huge concentrations that are in the water. 10

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Once ingested the plastic pieces can cause blockage in the intestines of the animals which can result in an agonising death through starvation. Even if the animal does somehow manage to survive its quality of life is inevitably diminished. It will struggle to catch food, or escape predators and there is always a possibility that toxins in the plastic will enter the animal’s body, increasing its overall suffering 12

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Filter Feeders Baleen whales and other filter feeders such as Manta Rays, Whale sharks and Basking sharks have no choice.  When they feed their forward movement forces water into their mouths.   Ideally this water should contain nutritious plankton and small fish that these huge fish need in enormous quantities to sustain themselves. However, with plastic pieces now outnumbering plankton in some parts of the ocean this is no longer the case.  These animals have no choice but to eat the plastic pollution that we have thrown into the ocean 14

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It’s a Jelly Bag! The most well-known case of mistaken identity, turtles in particular love to eat jellyfish and it is well known that they mistake plastic bags for their favourite food. Because of the downward facing spines that line the intestines of a turtle, once consumed, the plastic bag only has one way to go. If the turtle doesn’t manage to pass it through the entire digestive system it will probably die. 16

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The oceans provide us with more than half of the oxygen we breathe and they absorb much of the carbon dioxide we produce.  Without a healthy ocean we simply cannot survive. 18

19 How does the plastic get there? Plastic is light and is easily blown into water sources. This plastic can come from people mindlessly dropping their litter in the street to litter blown from landfill sites. Our towns and cities are designed to drain water from the streets to prevent flooding. 19

50% has been produced for single use. These extensive waterways transports plastic waste through drainage systems ending up in canals, rivers and eventually the sea. Across the globe, 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in our oceans every year and of this 50% has been produced for single use. 20

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22 Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags and bottled water What can we do? Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags and bottled water Bring your reusable cup with you to school and refill from the water dispensers Seek out alternatives to the plastic items that you rely on. If you must use plastic, recycle. Support plastic bag bans Spread the word. Talk to your family and friends about why it is important to reduce plastic in our lives and the nasty impacts of plastic pollution   22

Rise above plastic, choose to reuse 23