We don't often think about where our trash goes, we just put it out and someone takes it away. A lot of trash ends up in landfills, but much of it gets dumped in the ocean too. When garbage gets dumped in the ocean it can be very hazardous to sea creatures like turtles, dolphins and other animals. The two biggest threats (besides pollutants) are plastic rings from six packs of beverages and plastic bags. To see why, try this.

     Take a rubberband and loop one end over your index finger. Now pass the rubberband around the back of your hand. Loop the other end over your thumb. Now try to remove the rubberband without touching anything or using your other hand.

     The plastic rings that come on 6 packs of beverages can get over the mouths of dolphins and some fish. When this happens it is usually impossible for them to get the rings off. Sadly, the animals almost always die.

     Plastic bags are often mistaken for jellyfish, a favorite food of turtles. The turtles see the bags floating and eat them. Unfortunately, the turtles cannot digest the plastic. Worse yet, the bags often block the digestive tract and the animal dies.

 What can We do to Help?