Plastics in the ocean

Imagine you just drank the last soda in a six pack, and go to throw away the plastic rings that hold the drinks together when you buy them from the supermarket. Chances are, you probably don't think about where that ring ends up. Chances are, it will find its way into the ocean.

An estimated 6 million tonnes of plastics is dumped in the ocean every year. Some plastics will over time break down into small, colorful pellets, which aquatic life will easily mistake for food. The plastics will quickly move up the food chain, until larger animals will die. Some plastics however, will not easily break down.

Plastic drink rings are infamous because they do not quickly break down in the ocean.
These rings easily trap and entangle wildlife. Perhaps you have heard of Peanut, a red-eared slider turtle from Missouri. As a baby, she  got caught in a drink ring, which caused her shell to grow deformed.

There is a very simple solution I have developed to prevent wild life from getting caught in these (unintentionally) harmful devices. If we all cut the rings, this will prevent animals from getting caught. Next time, before you toss your six pack holder, cut the rings out to prevent animals such as Peanut from getting caught. Be sure to cut all the holes out.

This is not a permanent solution as plastics will still find their ways into our oceans, and will continue to be consumed by wildlife. To truly fix this rapidly growing problem, we must increase recycling and usage of plastics in our daily lives.