I saw the clear, deep blue ocean sparkling. The sand blanketed my feet.

The rainbow of coral

reefs and fish, the cries of seagulls, and an aroma of salt. That was then, this is now. But what
is now? A coat of plastic over reefs? Plastic in our food? Plastic in our bodies? People, is this
the future you want to grow up in? I don’t think so! There is plastic in the fish WE eat! My
name is Nethuli, and today I am going to be talking to you about microplastics in the ocean.
Microplastics are small plastics less than five millimetres long; the same size as a grain of
rice. They can be harmful to our environment, aquatic life, and us. They can be particles that
have broken down from bigger plastics like water bottles, or microbeads minute in size
(we’re talking less than 1 millimetre) and found in personal care products (show toothpaste)
or they can be single-use plastic (show straw). The main problems are that there is way too
much plastic in our ocean, marine life mistake plastics as food and that society, even knowing
this, continues to use plastic. We can't go back in time, so accept the present and save the
future!

Did you know there is so much plastic in the ocean because of plastic items and
manufacturing? What happens to them afterwards? Or the Coles Mini Collectables from a
few years back? Plastic will never decompose but will find its way to the ocean. This is my
daily use of plastic - It is said that only 9% of the plastic is recycled (underline). 90% is
wasted and harms the environment. And the remaining 1% is what we are reusing (circle). In
one day, more than a quarter of your wasted plastic is dumped into an ocean, (Box) where a
sea creature's life will end. An Australian study has found microplastics in the most secluded
oceans with about 33 particles per cubic metre. This includes the remote seawaters off
Northern Western Australia like the Kimberley Coast. Since then, high concentrations of
microplastics have been found in the Great Australian Bight. Look at how plastic is affecting
the environment. How about we use more valuable, useful, and durable things – like socks? If
you've been to Spudshed, you would know, they also have a reward like Coles or Woolies.
They give out socks which are WAY better than plastics. They've caught on, now it's our
turn. Support organisations that are working to clean up the ocean and raise awareness.

The problem is, microplastics began more than 50 years ago in personal care and hygiene
products (the most popular being clothes with synthetic fibres, glitter, and paint).
Microplastics and microbeads were replacing natural ingredients in products on the market
and now more than before. Yet not many people know about this issue. Not many people
CARE about it either. But microplastics are in EVERYTHING. And so some marine life has
been mistaking plastic for food. Such as turtles who have been mistaking plastic bags for
jellyfish. Such as mammals like whales that have eaten microbeads as krill. Such as dolphins
and other marine life that rely on breathing from the surface getting caught by plastic fishing
nets and drowning. Some of the endangered species are rapidly decreasing because of plastic
entanglement. Avoid using single-use plastics like bags, bottles, and band aids. Try to use
biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable ones instead!
Researchers are currently working on creating items to replace plastics and be more
environmentally friendly. This way we can finally stop using plastic. Like plastic bags! Who
would've thought it was so simple to use paper bags instead? (Paper Bag). In some places,
teenagers have gone to coffee shops, grocery stores and more and given alternatives to
plastics. – Mrs Litton SHOULD wave hand! How about we start with our school canteen?
We can use fewer products that have microbeads in them. In 2015, the US banned the use of
microbeads in products for personal care. In Canada, France and the UK, single-use plastic
has been banned as well. Thus, the number of microplastics in the ocean will be reduced
significantly. We can do it too! Reduce your plastics. Recycle materials properly. Reuse what
you can.

So be part of the solution, not the pollution! A future without plastic is a fantasy, but we can't
keep using plastic like there are still as many sea creatures in our oceans as 50 years ago. If
your sink is flooding, do you grab a mop or a bucket? The first thing you should do is turn off
the tap and then clean it up. That's the same with plastics in our ocean. If we use our voices
and spread the word, at least some people will listen. Yes, it is a habit to use plastic, but that
doesn't mean we can't stop. Everyone should work together to save our planet. A plastic straw
doesn't seem all that worth it after it's used once. So don't bother! At first, this seems small,
but once everyone catches on and no more plastic is discarded, we can clean the oceans and
make them a special place once more! Thank you!