Where Will the Children Play? Children play on a beach filled with plastic waste in Manila, Philippines. The Philippines has been ranked third on the list of the world's top-five plastic polluters of our oceans, after China and Indonesia. Many organizations and businesses have found ways (big and small) to help end plastic pollution and change people's attitudes and behavior about their consumption and the impact it has on the environment. Over a million people have reportedly signed petitions worldwide, demanding that corporations reduce their production of single-use plastics. Without established recycling facilities, rapidly developing countries create mountains of disposable packaging like food-wrapping, sachets, and shopping bags that end up on coastlines after being discarded. Most of these countries lack the infrastructure to manage their waste effectively. Those who live on lower incomes usually rely on cheap products sold in single-use sachets, such as instant coffee, shampoo, and food seasoning. According to studies, there could be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050, while actual plastic pieces might become a regular ingredient of our seafood — because fish consume bits of plastic that are coated in bacteria and algae, mimicking their natural food sources — that eventually lands on our dinner table. SOLUTION: Could your discarded plastic waste end up on this beach? You were conscious about buying the products, now become conscious about where they end up. Use reusable containers, bags and packaging where possible, and look at your supply chain for where plastics might be eliminated. n
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