a coastal California town can find its way across the Pacific to the coast of Japan ! And that ’ s just what we can see . In addition to pieces of trash visible to the naked eyes , the garbage patch is also full of microplastics , which are only visible because they make the water under and around the patch cloudy . Below the surface , oceanographers and ecologists recently discovered that about 70 percent of marine debris actually sinks to the bottom of the ocean .
Eighty percent of plastic in the ocean is estimated to come from land-based sources , with the remaining 20 percent coming from boats and other marine sources . These percentages vary by region , however . The Gulf of Mexico contains some of the highest concentrations of microplastics in the world . This is likely the result of inland plastic pollution from the Mississippi River , which drains nearly 41 percent of the contiguous United States into the Gulf .
Plastic waste can have a significant impact on marine life in the wild , such as all the species you see at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and the sea lions , otters , and many birds you see at Audubon Zoo who serve as ambassadors for their species . Animals can become entangled , leading to suffocation or drowning . When ingested , plastics can block digestive tracts , leading to starvation .
“ Audubon is committed to leading our community by example when it comes to protecting the environment ,” says Audubon
Director of Sustainability and Coastal Conservation John Fallon . “ Since 2017 , we ’ ve gotten rid of plastics straws , eliminated plastic bags in our gift shops , and moved from plastic beverage bottles to aluminum cans or bottles — even for water .”
When you sign up for the Plastic Free July Ecochallenge , you ’ ll choose tangible actions like these to focus on throughout the month , such as skipping the straw or bringing reusable bags to the supermarket .
Through an easy-to-use online platform , you can track progress , share successes and challenges with others , and earn points for completed actions . You can also find lots of helpful suggestions on steps you can take and sustainable swaps for commonly used plastic items .
Even if you don ’ t participate in the challenge , there are simple changes you can make every day to reduce the amount of plastic waste you produce . Say no to plastic bags — these can ’ t be recycled through typical curbside recycling . And including these in your recycling bin contaminates the entire load , which usually means the load will end up in a landfill . This includes bagging your recycling in a plastic garbage bag or including items like plastic sandwich / storage bags , cling film , plastic food packaging , and bubble wrap . ( If you do need to dispose of any plastic grocery bags though , some grocery stores have special collection bins just for that .)
6 Life Unleashed