Plastic pollution in the ocean is ingested by seabirds, turtles, cetaceans, and fish, causing injury, starvation, and toxic exposure at scale.
Key Facts
Over 800 animal species have been documented ingesting or entangled in marine plastic
Ingested plastic causes blockages, toxic chemical exposure, and false satiation leading to starvation
Microplastics are now found in the guts of virtually every marine species sampled
Beach clean-ups remove plastic but cannot address the scale of ocean plastic already present
Welfare Considerations
Plastic ingestion causes prolonged suffering and death for countless individual animals. Starvation from gut blockage is a particularly protracted welfare harm. Source reduction is essential since clean-up cannot keep pace with new plastic inputs.
What You Can Do
Reduce single-use plastic consumption and advocate for plastic bans
Support organisations working on extended producer responsibility for plastic packaging
Engage with campaigns to clean up priority plastic pollution sources reaching the ocean