Working Solutions
Today, people are starting to take action. They want to solve the plastics problem. In Africa, Kenya has joined other nations in banning plastic bags. France will ban plastic plates and cups by 2020.
Corporations are helping, too. Coca‑Cola produces bottled water. It hopes to “collect and recycle” all of its bottles by 2030.
Solutions can be found. People can make a difference. You can help, too. Here’s how.
This plastic is ready to be recycled.
San Francisco’s largest recycling plant handles up to 600 tons of materials a day.
Ten Things You Can Do
1
Give up plastic bags.
Take reusable bags to the store. A trillion plastic shopping bags are used worldwide every year.
2
Skip plastic straws.
Americans toss 500 million plastic straws every day.
3
Pass up plastic bottles.
Use a bottle you can fill again. Around the world, nearly a million disposable plastic bottles are sold every minute.
4
Avoid plastic packaging.
Buy bar soap instead of liquid. And while you’re at it, give up plastic plates and cups.
5
Recycle what you can.
Globally, only 18 percent of all plastic is recycled.
metal
plastic
paper
6
Don't litter.
7
Snack on fruit.
Instead of snack packs that have extra packaging, pack an apple, banana, or orange.
8
Use a better bag.
Pack sandwiches and snacks in reusable containers or cloth sacks instead of plastic bags.
9
Choose a cone.
Go without plastic spoons and cups and have your ice cream in a cone.
10
Pick up what you can.
Grab an adult and pick up trash near a local river. Be careful: Never pick up anything that looks sharp or dangerous.
