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<<DEE CAFFARI>> So what happens
to your plastic when
you've finished with it?

Some of the world's plastics
are recycled.

But not all plastics
are easily recycled.

Unfortunately, a lot of our plastics
end up with other waste in landfill.

Landfill is a way of getting rid of
rubbish by burying it
in dug out pits around the world.

nearly every piece of plastic
ever made and thrown away
still exists today.

Much of our discarded plastic
ends up in the ocean.

Our litter makes its way into
gutters and drains
feeding streams and rivers that all
empty into the ocean.
Over time, plastic breaks into
little bits creating tiny
particles called microplastics.

These gather, float and sink in our
rivers, seas and oceans
and they stay for hundreds of years.

So what effect is all this
plastic having on our oceans
and the sea creatures that
live within it?

Whilst I was sailing on my yacht,
I took water samples from
all around the world
and almost every single one of them
had microplastics in it.

Even in the furthest point
from land,
in the depths of the Southern Ocean
where no humans live -
Point Nemo - we found micrplastics.

Fish are eating
the tiny plastic particles
and larger animals like turtles and
seals are getting caught up
in plastics such as
discarded fishing nets,
stopping them from
moving and feeding
and some sea birds like seagulls are
mistakenly eating plastic
for food,
ending up in their stomachs.

Sadly, plastic in our oceans is
killing at least a hundred thousand
sea mammals a year.

So what can we do to help?

You may be thinking "What difference
does my bottle make?"

But if everyone on the planet
stopped using just one bottle
that would save 7 billion
bottles globally.

So you can see how important
small changes are.

Next time you reach for that plastic
straw, plastic bottle or plastic bag
think "Do I really need this?
Or is there an alternative?"

Ask your grandparents how they lived
before plastic was everywhere.

Can we learn from them on how to
reduce our use of plastic?

Such as having your milk delivered
in glass bottles
like in the old days.

You can also help by taking part in
a beach clean with your parents.

Let's all do our bit for our planet
and pass on plastic.