Did you know that about 14 billion pounds of garbage is dumped in the ocean each year? This is very concerning because if we don’t choose to get rid of our garbage the right way, we aren’t only hurting the lives of plants and animals, we are also putting our own lives on the line. Most of the garbage is plastic from bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. These plastic objects harm the plants and animals living in the ocean. This is one huge reason we need to recycle. Additionally, we need to recycle to protect people and the Earth.
We need to recycle to protect animals. Animals are in danger because of plastic waste being dumped in the ocean. On page 29 of Protecting Our Planet, author Jilly Hunt states that, “Small bits of plastic can be eaten by fish and other sea creatures.” This proves that because of people not recycling, many animals in the ocean can get sick and …show more content…
On page 29 of Protecting Our Planet, author Jilly Hunt explains that, “Small bits of plastic can be eaten by fish and other sea creatures, which are then eaten by humans. It is thought a plate of just six oysters could contain up to 50 particles of plastic.” This demonstrates that when people don’t recycle they are not only harming animals, but are also harming themselves. Not just water pollution is harming people, there is also a natural gas called ozone located in the middle of the Earth’s atmosphere that is decreasing. On page 16 of Protecting Our Planet, author Jilly Hunt also explains that, “Ozone has an important job to do because it blocks out harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun that would otherwise damage plants and animals. Too much exposure to UV rays can injure eyes and cause sunburn and skin cancer.” This justifies that we need to recycle to prevent the ozone layer from decreasing, by doing this we will be protecting the health of humans and animals. Recycling will also protect people by preventing them from eating dangerous plastic