You don’t have to look far to see a scary story involving plastic, whether that story involves a whale washing up to shore as a result of ingesting too much plastic or a video that shows a turtle having a straw pulled out of its nostril, the truth is that plastic pollution has become an epidemic that needs to be taken seriously.
Although plastic waste is everywhere, its detrimental effect on our waterways and marine life have made people take notice of the problem at hand. It is estimated that plastic makes up 60-90% of marine debris, and some of that debris, such as fishing lines can take up to 650 years to break down. 650 years is the equivalent of the whole of the series of Friends playing continuously 4693 times.
Boaters will be noticing first-hand the problem plastic pollution is causing, with it washing up on riverbanks, blocking weirs and floating next to their marina boat moorings. Luckily not all hope is lost in this cause, there are several steps that boaters can take to ensure the issue doesn’t get any worse and starts to head in the right direction.
For example, use reusable bags instead of opting for single use carrier bags. You could also replace plastic cutlery with bamboo or corn starch cutlery. These are just small changes that could make a big difference.
