Take Action
10 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO STOP MARINE DEBRIS
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Volunteer for the International Coastal Cleanup Challenge. Already planning to attend a Cleanup? Ask a friend to join you! |
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Put trash in a secure, lidded receptacle - most marine debris starts out on land. |
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Properly recycle everything you can in your area. |
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When boating, bring your trash back to shore, and ask your marina to handle waste properly. |
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Less is more: Don't buy stuff you don't need, and choose items that use less packaging. |
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Inform and inspire your friends and co-workers to help stop marine debris at the source. |
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Bring your own containers for picnics instead of using disposables. Take your own reusable bags whenever you go shopping. |
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Write to companies or visit local businesses and encourage them to reuse, recycle, and generate less packaging. |
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Put cigarette butts in ashtrays, not on streets, sidewalks, or beaches. |
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Write to your elected officials and ask them to support policies that protect our ocean. |
Take Action: Start A Sea Change
The solutions to marine debris include everyone - business, government, community groups and individuals - all working together. Picking up trash at the International Coastal Cleanup on one day each year is not the whole answer, because trash in our ocean and waterways is an on-going, year-round problem. Working together, we can change behaviors that lead to trash in our ocean, we can change laws to better govern litter and ocean dumping, and we can change to more ocean-friendly products through new technologies.
Action begins with each of us.
(Content courtesy of the Ocean Conservancy)