How to Clean Up Plastics from Our Oceans

Running head: HOW TO CLEAN UP PLASTICS FROM OUR OCEANS 1
How to Clean Up Plastics from Our Oceans
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HOW TO CLEAN UP PLASTICS FROM OUR OCEANS 2
Introduction
Oceans are very important in the lives of people as they form part of the scenic beauty
and also a medium of transport. They also provide habitat for the marine life which is also
important to the human beings hence a need to keep the oceans clean. However, pollution of the
oceans in the recent past by the plastics has caused an alarming concern as it destroys marine life
and also the seafood consumed by human beings can contain some pieces of the plastics hence a
harm to the health. Oceans are polluted by various things including plastic bags which are
thrown by people or fed in by the rivers flowing in. The marine scientists estimated that about 4
trillion pieces of plastic are currently littering the Pacific and other oceans (Helvarg, 2013). This
has prompted the need to clean up the oceans as they kill the marine species. The trillions of
plastic waste dumped in the oceans every year severely threaten the biodiversity of the world's
oceans. This document presents various recommendations which can be implemented to clean
up the ocean.
Various factors contribute to the much concentration of plastics in the ocean. Such
include sewage whereby litter enters the ocean directly through rivers and drainages. Littering
can also be caused by the wind which blows the plastics to the ocean. The ocean visitors also
throw in plastics such as paper bags and plastic bottles and other plastics that they may use while
on the visit. It is estimated that by 2050, there may be more plastic waste in the ocean than the
fish if actions are not taken against dumping (Bråte et al, 2015) . All these waste driven to the
ocean poses a threat to the marine life and the people may not realize what extend a single plastic
can become a harm to the marine life.
Following the importance to maintain marine life by protecting them from the threats of
the plastic waste in the ocean, various steps have been taken to clean up the plastics that are