You probably think reusing plastic doesn't matter, but if you want to help the environment it does matter. Americans throw away 35 billion pounds of plastic water bottles each year. The average American throws away 185 pounds of plastic a year. One million plastic bags are used each minute. 46 percent of plastic bags floats in the ocean and they can drift for years. 50 percent of plastic items are used are used once then thrown away. It takes 500 to 1,000 years for plastic to break apart. If you think these facts aren't so great, let me tell you how they affect the environment.

If you throw away plastic it will hurt the environment. People kill one million sea birds and marine mammals each year from plastic in the ocean. Other animals like sea turtles, dolphins and other animal get trapped in the plastic or cut by plastic nets and can rings. Fast food boxes will never decompose and animals can eat the boxes. If you throw plastic away the plastic will give out toxic gas. You can start recycling water bottles and other plastic things to help the environment. 

                It’s not too hard to help keep plastic out of the ocean and landfills. You can volunteer at a beach cleanup. You can reduce using every day plastic such as sandwich bags and cartons by refilling containers. You can make plastic milk gallons into anything you want. You can do a lot of things to help the environment.

                This is what I am doing at my house to help out. When I go biking I bring a trash bag so I can pick up trash on the way. My family makes sure we don’t forget trash at a picnic on the beach. I reuse plastic water bottles so I can help the environment. I try to use less energy in the house by just going outside. I use less water when I brush my teeth. I think you can try some of these things too.   

Think for a moment how throwing away plastic hurts the environment. Remember animals can be injured or killed by plastic in the water and landfills. Plastic that is thrown away or burned gives off toxic gases. Pick up trash and reuse water bottles. They can even become a work of art. Remember if you don’t pick up, reduce and reuse plastic it can hurt your environment.