In honor of Earth Day 2019, I dove into the problem of plastic pollution and the impact it’s having on our oceans. With millions of pounds of plastic ending up in the sea every year, I wanted to draw attention to the problem and give people some tips on how they can reduce their personal waste.
I recently spent some time in Laguna Beach with a handful of experts that are channeling their creative and innovative brain power to combat the issue. From professional surfer Rob Machado and the people behind Igloo’s first biodegradable cooler to Alison Teal, and the Girl Scout who got Alaska Airlines to give up plastic straws, I learned more about the issue and what we as consumers can start to do to reduce the pollution.
“I’m pretty positive and I like to think I see a big shift happening, and it’s coming from the people saying, ‘No thanks, I’m not going to use that product because of the way it’s packaged,'” says Machado.
For me, the purpose of Earth Day is to remind people of the importance of respecting the natural environment, and doing what we can to lessen our impact on the planet.
“Every time I would weave a fish net or carve a hook and throw it in the ocean, all I would catch was plastic,” Teal recalls of her time on the TV show, Naked and Afraid. “It made me realize that plastic pollution is a huge issue and it’s not one person’s fault, it’s a global problem.”
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