You can do something about plastic trash by picking it up.
You can go solo or organize a cleanup with friends.
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Things to know:
- More than 480 billion plastic bottles were sold worldwide in 2019, with sales expected to increase to over 583 billion by 2021.
- Only about 30% of plastic bottles are currently recycled globally, with the rest ending up in landfills, incinerated, or littering the environment.
- It takes around 450 years for a plastic bottle to fully decompose in the environment, and even then, it only breaks down into smaller plastic particles known as microplastics.
- 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the world’s oceans each year, and plastic bottles are a significant contributor to this pollution.
- It takes around 3 liters of water to produce a single 1-liter plastic bottle, including the water used in the manufacturing process and in filling the bottle.
- Recycling just one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for up to six hours.
- Plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be recycled into a variety of products, including new bottles, fiberfill for jackets and sleeping bags, and carpeting.
- The average American consumes around 167 plastic water bottles per year, and the average European consumes around 100.
Plastic bottles take 450 years to degrade.
Trash from the ocean washes up on the beach like this
Picture of golf course in Pebble Beach, CA. How many golf balls get hit into the ocean?
Golf balls in the water and ocean are a problem for marine animals.
Polluting golf courses
Wear gloves to protect yourself from cuts and germs.
Gather plastic and other trash into a bag and then dispose of properly.
Campgrounds at national parks have plastic trash containers like these:
Camper below is picking up and packing out trash.
- Plastic is made from fossil fuels.
- Billions of pounds end up in ocean every year.
- 25 million pieces of plastic trash in worlds oceans.
- A great plastic patch is in north central pacific ocean.
- 60% of all seabirds have ingested some plastic.
- The US leads the world in plastic waste generation of 42 million tons.
- 2% of all plastic produced ends up in the ocean.
Plastic plates and forks like these are convenient for camping. Make sure not to leave a mess.
Sign reminding you to take your rubbish with you.
- More than 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s, with around 60% of that plastic now in landfills or the natural environment.
- Around 300 million tons of plastic are produced each year, with half of that plastic used for single-use items such as packaging, bottles, and straws.
- Plastic waste can take hundreds of years to decompose in the environment, with even small particles known as microplastics causing harm to wildlife and ecosystems.
- Plastic pollution harms wildlife through ingestion and entanglement, with animals such as sea turtles, whales, and birds particularly vulnerable.
This campsite is messy. Note all the plastic bottles lying around.
It only takes a minute to pickup trash you find while hiking on an outdoor trail. 
Take responsibility for your own pollution
You can have fun on a family outing cleanup up plastic beach trash.
Plastic bags in lakes and ocean are very bad for animals due to entanglement and ingestion.
You can do your part to help cleanup. Thanks a ton.
This EPA page has more info about the total number of tons of plastics generated.
Plastic bottles belong in landfill not under water.
Only 9% of plastics are recycled each year.
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