Plastic breaks down into smaller pieces slowly over time but doesn't ever completely disappear. In the ocean, currents carry the small bits to areas where massive gyres of plastic garbage have formed.
Seabirds eat the plastic bits particularly ones that are a bright red or orange thinking they're squid, fish eggs or other food.
Some Laysan albatross, a seabird that nests at Midway atoll northwest of the main Hawaiian islands, die of starvation with their stomachs full of plastic.
Electrolux's Pacific vacuum has only a few red or orange pieces because marine animals have eaten most of the brightly colored plastic trash pieces before they wash ashore.
This made me kind of sad. I accept that we are not in a place in society where we can be without plastic, but looking around my house I saw an awful lot of red plastic which could have been any other color.
Tide Laundry Soap
Tabasco lids
McCormick spice lids
Coke lids
Medicine bottles
Shampoo bottle
Soy sauce
every Asian food and sauce lid
Milk lid
cleaning product lids
There is of course WAY more, but that was just from a quick look and all of this is disposable stuff. I think children's toys could also be added to the list of unnecessary red plastic.
I have started writing to the makers of these products to urge them to change the color of their plastic disposables. I know a lot of money has been spent on red branding, but maybe the red could be in the form of printed labels or other biodegradable branding and the product could be put in a less wildlife killing package.
I don't know if I can make any difference but I can at least try.
i would love to see more sets!
PEACE Luvraven xo