Let’s be real for a minute. We think of different types of animals in very different ways. Yes, as animal lovers, we can say that we love all animals and would never wish them harm, but realistically, we don’t know how many of our actions impact animals in the long-run. Take for example how our plastic waste can harm marine animals. After all, when you buy a plastic water bottle, chances are you aren’t thinking about how it could potentially end up in the mouth of a baby seal one day … or how those tiny microbeads in your face wash could one day end up getting eaten by a sea turtle.

The fact is, we don’t think about these things because we rarely get to see the impact that our daily habits have on animals that aren’t right in front of our faces. If you knew that every time you used a plastic bag your dog would get harmed, you would probably drop that plastic like a bad habit!

But what if we told you that marine animals are really just like the puppies of the ocean? Would that change how you think about the amount of plastic trash you generate?

These images from Imgur user mhoa draws this connection perfectly.

Consider this, every year, we generate around 300 million tons of plastic a year – globally.

Of all that plastic, around 8.8 million tons ends up in the oceans.

Once in the water, plastic poses a direct threat to marine life.

In fact, some 700 marine species are in danger of extinction due to the threat plastic poses them. 

So what if this were the case for our puppies? What if our plastic trash was harming them instead of these sea animals so far away in the ocean?

You’d probably think twice before grabbing that straw, huh?

So while no, our plastic trash doesn’t currently pose an immediate threat to our dogs the same way it does to marine animals (although you should still be careful when you have plastic trash around your puppies), if we all stopped and changed our thinking for a second, we could make a HUGE positive change.

If we all make an effort to identify where we use plastic and actively look for alternatives, we can drastically cut down on the amount of plastic Pollution that finds its way into the oceans.

As the leading organization at the forefront of the conscious consumerism movement, One Green Planet believes that reducing everyday plastics from our lives is not about giving up anything or sacrificing convenience, but rather learning to reap the maximum benefit from the items you use every day while having the minimum impact.

Let’s #CrushPlastic! Click the graphic below for more information.

All image source: mhoa/Imgur