Claire McMullin’s Post

60 MILLION Per day That's the number of water bottles used and thrown just by Americans each day. At this rate, about every 17 days landfills and waterways have received a billion used plastic water bottles. Can you imagine if we were to have an extra billion humans on our planet every 17 days? The result would be overcrowding, lack of resources, conflict, aggression. What are the results of a billion plastic water bottles every 17 days? Is there anyone to conceive of clean-up efforts keeping up with such a constant influx? Less than a quarter of those are recycled; the rest are incinerated, end up in landfills, litter our neighborhoods or end up floating in our oceans. North of Hawaii, millions of plastic water bottles and other indestructible plastic items are trapped by the circular currents of the Northern Pacific Gyre. It is one of five gyres – slow-moving whirlpools - found in oceans around the world. What do you think our first step, as a society, ought to be when dealing with the growing piles of plastic in landfills, in the ocean, and in our lakes & rivers? Have you seen any solutions which have inspired you to make changes in your daily life? Let us know in the comments below 🗣 #Grassroots #Grassrootsenvironmentaleducation #GreenStreetNews #BabySafeProject #techsafeschools #HowGreenIsMyTown #LongIslandWater #HelpingtoHeal #AmericansForResponsibleTech #PortFarmersMarket #childsafeschool #PFAS #Environment #Airquality #Pollution #ClimateChange #Anthropocene #Cleanair #cleanwater #cleanfood

How much evidence does society need that plastic is killing our ecosystem? Sea birds and whales starving to death with digestive systems full of plastic. Turtles, dolphins, and seals entangled, to death. Humans with microplastics and PFAS crossing the placenta to embryos and crossing the blood-brain barrier. It’s on land too, and not just any land, our most prestine lands set aside to preserve nature, our National Parks. I try to stay optimistic and positive because I believe in the indomitable power of the human spirit to do the right thing but, souless corporations trying to make comps every quarter, pushing plastic at every turn has to stop. Plastic should be controlled at the same level as cigarettes: tax it and hold the producers responsible for the “clean up” (which is impossible). If you work at a CPG company, please stop ignoring this issue and push your company to change. Bill Weihl can help you organize a campaign amongst your team. What would Teddy Roosevelt say? I wonder what he would do?

https://lnkd.in/dxVGStyf. I have a question for everyone in my network. why do all the major plastic corporations support frivolous cleanup efforts and not getting to the cause? over 85% of the plastic entering our ocean sinks but yet every cleanup effort focuses on the less than 15% that floats. why. caribbeancleanup.org We have the answer!

https://lnkd.in/dxVGStyf. I have a question for everyone in my network. why do all the major plastic corporations support frivolous cleanup efforts and not getting to the cause? over 85% of the plastic entering our ocean sinks but yet every cleanup effort focuses on the less than 15% that floats. why. caribbeancleanup.org We have the answer!

According to Washington-based Ocean Conservancy, volunteer trash collectors found 29% fewer plastic bags on U.S. beaches in 2022 and 2023, compared to levels that were collected prior to the pandemic. At the same time, since 2020, the percentage of the U.S. population covered by #plastic bag bans has doubled, from 12% to 25%, the advocacy group said in a new report, offering evidence that links bag bans with a drop in debris, writes Rick Spence. It's some much-needed hope as the world combats the tide of plastic that has infiltrated the air we breathe and the water we drink. #plastictreaty #circulareconomy https://lnkd.in/d-WcW9c9

It’s #PlasticFreeJuly! Here’s how I reduce plastic use in my family’s life every day and save money. 💚Avoid plastic bags in favor of mesh in the produce aisle and tight woven cloth for bulk goods. Purchases go to storage bins and glass jars at home. 💚Cling film is out! Instead, try Bee's Wrap or brown parchment paper. 💚Stop clothes shopping period, especially for single events (it’s wedding season afterall), resell on Poshmark or donate to your local charity. 💚Pivot away from clothes made of synthetic fibers in favor of quality natural fibers. 💚 Wash clothes in cold water and replace plastic packaged detergent in favor of detergent sheets from Earth Breeze, Club Fresh, ECOS —there are options! 💚Replace teflon coated pans with stainless steel or cast iron. 💚 Eliminate purchasing prepackaged meat in plastic and styrofoam in favor of often fresher items wrapped in paper from the butcher’s counter. 💚Remind lawmakers to take action against plastic pollution: https://lnkd.in/eunhpir

Imagine you ate lunch and then just felt weak and lethargic and hungry all day. That would be very confusing, and irritating which is exactly what stray animals must be going through everyday! Hungry animals usually smell food in plastic containers and bags. However, their curiosity and desire for food often cause them to get their heads, feet or wings trapped in the plastic. “The really sad thing about this is that they’re eating plastic thinking it’s food,” says Matthew Savoca, a marine biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration This phenomenon is especially problematic because of how widespread it is. People often dump a lot of plastic near or in patches of unprotected wild land, which means that the probability of wild animals encountering plastic increases exponentially. Thus, the animals will be in imminent danger of either being trapped in, inconvenienced by or accidentally consuming this toxic material. Plastic affects our wildlife and forests greatly. Our job as informed citizens of this planet is to do our bit to ensure the safety of rapidly declining and highly endangered flora and fauna. It’s not too late to make a difference. The overall reduction in consumption and the reuse of plastic will result in less plastic circulating through trash piles that can reach the soil and forests. We sincerely thank Tatva:Eco Club and TERI School of Advanced Studies for coming together for this cause and making a difference to leave a green world.🪴 #plasticpollution #forestconservation #forest #strayanimals #litterfree #cleanup #earthday

Today is Earth Day 🌍 It encourages us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future. This year's theme is Planet vs. Plastics - looking at how excessive plastic can disrupt the balance of life on earth. Scotland was the first UK nation to ban use of the most problematic single-use plastics. And we are thinking up new, innovative ways towards a plastic free world. Take a look at the inspiring Ocean Plastic Pots💚. They collect discarded fishing rope and fishing net from across Scotland and make beautiful products for the garden, home and kitchen. Recently they've worked with communities from six Scottish islands to recycle 1700kg of rope and net collected from their beaches, and turn it into chic, colourful plant pots! On this Earth Day and every day, Scotland is taking action to help protect our oceans for future generations. The scale of the problem is vast and needs action at every level of society to reverse the damage. And acting together, we can. 🌊. #EarthDay #LetsDoNetZero #Recycle

Imagine a floating wasteland of plastic, twice the size of Texas, swirling endlessly between Hawaii and California. This is the Pacific Garbage Patch—one of the most horrifying symbols of human negligence towards the environment. And the worst part? It's growing larger every day. Yes we're talking about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – A crisis we can't ignore. We’ve all heard the warnings about plastic pollution, but the true scale of this disaster is staggering. It’s not just the size of the patch that’s alarming—it’s the way it is devastating marine life and entire ecosystems. Birds, fish, and other sea creatures mistake plastic for food. They eat it, they choke on it, they die with their bellies full of indigestible waste. Imagine that. Entire species are suffering, not because of natural predators, but because of our discarded plastic bottles, bags, and straws. But it doesn’t end there. The microplastics from this ocean of garbage are breaking down and seeping into our water systems, contaminating the very fish we eat and even finding their way into our drinking water. Yes, that same plastic bottle you threw away last week? You might be drinking microscopic pieces of it tomorrow. The long-term health effects are still being studied, but the immediate reality is clear: we are poisoning ourselves, slowly but surely. This isn’t a distant problem happening in some far-off corner of the world. It’s in our oceans, in our food, in our bodies. It’s time to stop treating plastic pollution like someone else’s issue. We can’t afford to ignore the devastation any longer. We must reduce our plastic use, embrace sustainable alternatives, and demand better waste management systems. The Pacific Garbage Patch is our wake-up call. The question is, will we answer it? We have the power to change this. And we must—before it’s too late. #PlasticPollution #ClimateCrisis #Sustainability #MarineConservation #OceanPollution #EnvironmentalImpact #SaveOurOceans #Microplastics #ZeroWaste #SustainableFuture #CircularEconomy #EndPlasticWaste #ClimateAction #ProtectOurPlanet #EcoFriendly

Plastic pollution is suffocating our planet’s waterways, but together, we can turn the tide. Our goal is to remove 5,000kg of plastic from rivers that feed into our oceans—and you can be part of the solution. Swipe to see how we’re tackling this crisis head-on and how you can help make a lasting impact on the environment, wildlife, and our future. Visit https://lnkd.in/dF8H2z25 to: 💡 Learn more about the project ✍️ Sign petitions for stricter plastic regulations 💪 Get practical tips to reduce plastic in your life 🧡 Donate to the river clean-up campaign to remove plastic from nature #PlasticPollution #RiverCleanup #OceanConservation #PlasticFree #ProtectOurOceans #EnvironmentalAction #SustainableFuture #CleanRivers #FightPlastic #SaveOurSeas #EcoFriendly #PlasticCrisis #OceanPlastic #WasteReduction #ClimateAction