Authors: Comic created by Sade Storthz and article written by Heather Nicole King
Episode 3: The "Recycling Sharks" find new ways to reduce their waste through more sustainable choices. We can make changes too by adapting our own habits. Like these marine besties suggest, we can reduce our waste by choosing more environmentally-friendly options.
While recycling is a great option for some materials, the most effective way to cut down on waste is to reduce our usage of certain materials. For example, not all plastics are created equal. Single-use plastics, are not recyclable and create unnecessary waste that travels into our waterways.
Plastics in the ocean are one of the biggest contributors to marine pollution. Over 8 million tons of plastics are displaced in our oceans each year which could have otherwise been recycled or altogether avoided. Explore these tips for ways you can avoid plastic waste to help save sea creatures and protect our oceans.
Can you think of more ways you can reduce your waste? Reggie, Rebecca and Reef learned to save energy by turning off lights, limiting single-use plastic waste, and carpooling or using other types of transportation. What can you do to help reduce waste in your community?
Additional Educational Resource & Activity
Join SciGirls on PBS LearningMedia and learn about " Going Green." Watch these short videos on how they audited their school’s waste and found solutions to reduce it. You can recreate their waste audit to find solutions to “going green” within your area.