Just a couple of weeks ago, washed up on the shores of Sentosa, Singapore, a baby black-tip shark was found dead, with its head trapped in a plastic cup. Found with the tip of its snout poking out of the cup, the shark may have died from hunger, after having its mouth stuck in the cup. Can you imagine not being able to eat when you are starving?
Photo courtesy of Tammy Lim/ Mothership
With 8 million tonnes of #plastic seeping into the ocean yearly, marine debris from improper waste management or killer litter is especially harmful to our marine life as they may confuse it for food, and could lead to fatalities.
However, the impact of plastic #pollution doesn’t stop there. The lifespan of plastics stretches up to 450 years for plastic bottles, as plastics break down and continue to pollute our land in the form of microplastics (plastics smaller than 5mm).
Thus, the trash we throw ends up consumed by our livestock, and resurfaces into the food we eat. In fact, in 2019, a new study carried out by the University of Newcastle found on average people could be ingesting approximately 5 grams of plastic every week, which is the equivalent weight of a credit card!
Meaning the impact plastics have on our animals has a jarring impact on us as well. Maybe the next time we look at the next plastic cup, we hope you will say no!
To learn more about how you can #help tackle this with us, find out here!
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