Imagine walking along the beach, but it's nearly impossible to walk along the shore because trash continuously hits your ankles as the waves break. You see a turtle wash up on shore dead because the plastic rings that hold soda cans strangled it. Not only does trash effect marine life, but it is hurting human life also. 70% of the air that we breathe is produced by marine plants. What was once a beautiful and clean sight has now become a death trap for all living organisms.

One of the biggest problems is the amount of plastic waste that gets dumped into our oceans by careless communities. Plastic is cheap to manufacture, which is why most items are packaged in this substance. Even though the United States makes a “conscious” effort to promote recycling, a lot of the plastic and other wastes are carelessly being thrown into our oceans. When plastic is whole, it is easier to scoop out of the ocean. However, when it breaks down into pieces the size of confetti, the plastic releases toxins that kill fish and other marine life when they consume it.

Even if you live nowhere near the ocean it is still possible to contribute towards the ocean’s clean up act. One of the easiest ways is to start using re-usable items such as water bottles, glass food containers, and grocery bags to help eliminate the amount of plastic being used and thrown away. Most of the trash that ends up in the ocean is from trash on land that has not been properly recycled.

Another method to financially support communities who are fighting to create a change. 4Ocean is a company that was started by two surfers who took a trip to Bali and witnessed fishermen pushing their boats through mountains of garbage. To their devastation they knew that if something did not change soon, there would be no fish left to catch, which means that there would be no food to put on the table for dinner.

The two men decided to create bracelets made from recycled materials found in the ocean. For every beautiful bracelet purchased, it will fund the removal of 1 pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines. The clean-up crews in Boca Raton and Bali work tirelessly to clean oceans and coastlines. 4Ocean has removed approximately 630,000 pounds of trash in the last two years. Each bracelet costs $20 and is completely water proof.

For the month of May, 4Ocean is dedicating their time to saving the endangered species of whales on top of cleaning up garbage. 69% of whale species have been recorded to ingest plastic, making it the root cause of their deaths. For every purchase of a whale bracelet, the clean-up acts will create a safer habitat for the whales and all other marine life.

If you do happen to live next to the ocean, do not be afraid to pick up trash during your next visit to the beach. It might not feel like you are doing a whole lot, but when everyone dedicates a little bit of time to pick up and properly dispose of trash, we are saving our marine life and human life too.