After squeezing out the last drop of their cleaning products, it's puzzling why people STILL toss their empty plastic bottles into the recycling bin, thinking that they helping the environment. People just don't know the harm that they are causing.

Recently, CNN published an article showing the effects of our "recycled" plastic, and it is NOT good.

 

So let's talk numbers...

How Many Million Tons of Plastic are Dumped in Our Oceans Every Year?

Each year, approximately 400 million metric tons of plastic waste are produced globally, but only 9% of that actually gets recycled. The other 91% of the plastic gets dumped into landfills, burned, or worse, shipped off to countries that are already drowning in their own plastic pollution.

The CNN article takes a deep look at how life is affected for people living in Indonesia, a popular destination for excess plastics. These poor countries, like Indonesia, have their oceans littered with islands of floating debris, disrupting habitats and entering the food chain.

 

So what happens when the plastic goes to the ocean?

 

How many years does it take for a plastic bottle to break down?

A single plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to completely degrade as it slowly breaks down into smaller pieces called microplastics.

These microplastics then impact wildlife and eventually have devastating effects on both our planet's health, and our health.

 

What is happening in Indonesia?

Indonesia is typically known as a country for its beautiful water and wildlife. Now, they are facing an environmental crisis. Because Indonesia accepts so much plastic from other countries, their local communities and ecosystems are in critical condition.

The local fishermen who have relied on these waters for generations now have to navigate through an ocean that has more plastic than fish. Edu Ponces, a photographer who took the photos for CNN, says, "It's impossible to surf or snorkel without running into plastic water bottles, single-use cups and food wrappers."

Loji beach is one of the most famous in Indonesia, and it has been hit the hardest. The beach is littered with so much plastic that it forms barriers in the sand.

All of this pollution is making things more difficult for the locals as well. Marsinah is a local Indonesian woman who has had to resort to sorting through the plastic waste on the beach and selling it to informal recycling centers. This is her only way to earn an income after her husband died.

 

What is being done?

Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries have tightened their rules for plastic waste imports. Indonesia will now only allow shipments of products that are fully recyclable. The European Union is also stepping in, planning to ban the export of plastic waste to developing countries by 2026.

 

 

What can I do to help?

Facing the problem of plastic pollution can feel overwhelming, but it is on us as individuals to make the change. Every one of us has a role to play in reducing our plastic footprint.

 

Here are some daily changes that you can make.

• Bring reusable bags to the grocery store instead of opting for plastic ones.
• Use reusable containers for storing food and carrying meals on the go.
• Carry a water bottle so you don't buy plastic water bottles.
• And most importantly... REUSE your plastic bottles!!!

With HopePodz, transforming your old plastic bottles is simple. Just drop in one of our powerful pods into your plastic bottle, fill it with water, and watch your old plastic bottle be reborn into a new premium cleaner.  

You're not just reusing a bottle; you're actively saving it from becoming part of the ocean's floating islands of plastic or from piling up in landfills.

So together, let's step up and be part of the solution and make a positive impact on the planet.