One Bottle Each for a

Cleaner Beach!

"It's only one straw," said 8 billion people-

Unknown (2)

OVERVIEW
Plastic pollution occurs when
disgarded plastics accumulate and
negatively affect the natural
environment. Thus, harming wildlife,
plants, and humans. Plastics are made
from toxic materials that stop it from
decomposing (6).

IMPACTS
According to a Heliyon scientific
journal by Thushari and
Senevirathna, entanglement and
ingestion of more than 243
marine species is the critical
issue we face. These encounters
are fatal and have major
impacts on the ecosystems. (7)

9 out of 10 seabirds examined have ingested

plastic

100% of sea turtles found have ingested

plastic

60% of whale have plastic in their stomachs

1 in 3 seals have ingested plastic

50% of all coral reefs have died from

plastics and warming ocean temperatures
(5)
 Fatal Effects Plastics Have on Our
Environments

Animals
Plastic waste becomes food for both marine life and wildlife.
The plastic animals consume fills their bellies and discourages
them from eating nutritional substances. This leads to
starvation and/or blockages in their digestion, ultimately
killing them. Many plastics also contain toxins, poisening the
animals that eat it. (3)

Humans
Toxic chemicals in plastics are known to cause major health
issues in humans. Chemicals transferred from plastic to
people effect the endocrine system and hormones, targeting
especially women and young children. (3)

Land
Plastics that end up in landfields take hundreds of years to
breakdown causing heaps of plastic. This waste leaches toxic
chemicals into the land, resulting in contamination of the
surface and causing health concerns to the surrounding life.
(3)

Air
Sometimes plastics are incinerated, releasing poisonous
chemicals into the air. Inhaling this pollution can have
serious implications to respiratory health. (3)

Water
The toxic chemicals from land fields seep into the
water table through rain, impacting groundwater and
contaminating sustainable waters. Lakes and oceans
are swarming with plastic debris. It is estimated that
40% of the earth's oceans surfaces contain plastic. (3)

Food Chain
Small organisms consume plastic debris and the toxins it
contains. These organisms are eaten by larger animals and
pass on the toxins. This process continues up the food chain,
all the way to humans. (3)

Economy
From beaches to cities, plastic is everywhere! Millions of
dollars are spent each year for clean-up. This includes
attempts to protect endangered marine species and plant
decline, along with health impacts to humans. (3)
 POLLUTION SOLUTIONS

1. Stop the use of disposable

plastics
Many of the products we use daily are disposable. Toothbrushes, razors
and plastic cutlery to name a few. Try using alternatives, such as
biodegradable options.

2. Recycle Properly
Only 9% of plastic is recycled
worldwide. (4) Taking a little extra time
to recycle can make a huge difference.

3. Avoid products that contain

microbeads
Microbeads are found in many face scrubs, toothpastes
and bodywashes. Microbeads enter the oceans through
sewage systems.

4. Participate in or
organize a beach or
river clean-up

This is one of the most direct ways to

make an impact.

5. Start using reusable bags

and bottles

The leading culprit in plastic waste is with single-use plastic bags,

packaging and water bottles.

"Oceans will have more plastic

than fish by 2050"
-Federal Environment Minister
Catherine McKenna (1)

BE THE SOLUTION, NOT

THE POLLUTION!
 Works Cited

(1) Kaleighmclelland. “Combatting Plastic Waste with

Minister McKenna.” Innovating Canada, 27 Feb. 2020,
www.innovatingcanada.ca/environment/combatting-
plastic-waste-with-minister-mckenna.

(2) Naturaler, and Naturaler. “24 Quotes on Plastic

Pollution.” Naturaler, 23 Nov. 2019,
naturaler.co.uk/quotes-on-plastic-pollution.

(3) Madaan, Sonia. “Fatal Effects of Plastic Pollution.”

Earth Eclipse, 23 Dec. 2016,
eartheclipse.com/pollution/fatal-effects-of-plastic-
pollution.html.

(4) “Only 9% of the World’s Plastic Is Recycled.” The

Economist, 12 Mar. 2018,
www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2018/03/06/only-
9-of-the-worlds-plastic-is-recycled.

(5) Phillips, Eric. “78 Plastic in The Ocean Statistics And

Facts 2021–2022.” Dripfina, 7 Apr. 2022,
dripfina.com/plastic-in-the-ocean-statistics.

(6) Rinkesh. “Causes, Effects and Incredible Solutions

to Plastic Pollution You'Ll Wish You'd Known -
Conserve.” Conserve Energy Future, 24 June 2020,
www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-
solutions-of-plastic-pollution.php.

(7) Thushari, G. G. N., and J. D. M. Senevirathna.

“Plastic Pollution in the Marine Environment.” Heliyon,
vol. 6, no. 8, 2020, p. e04709. Crossref,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04709.

All photos are from canva.com