The oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth and comprise the vast majority of the planet’s water. However, they’re not inexhaustible sources of life, especially when contaminated with man-made trash. Fortunately, with rising environmental awareness and marine education, people are now more conscious about reducing waste. You can do your part as well by minimizing your usage of the following items.

3 Common Waste Items Contaminating the Oceans

1. Beverage Containers

Whether you order a drink at a burger joint or grab one out of a cooler by the grocery store checkout, your beverage inevitably comes in a disposable container. Plastic bottles and aluminum cans can be recycled, but they still make up a large portion of marine debris. Bottle caps and straws can’t be recycled and, being so small, are often mistaken for food by sea creatures. To eliminate these pollutants, Hawaii is working to ban straws from restaurants by 2022.

2. Food Wrappers

Likewise, plate lunches and takeout are packed in throwaway containers for convenience. Because they get coated in food grease, the boxes can’t be recycled. They then take up space at a landfill or accumulate in the ocean around the islands in the Pacific. To address this, the Hawaii law banning straws would do the same for other single-use items like plastic utensils and styrofoam containers. Meanwhile, environmentally conscious businesses have switched to biodegradable boxes and utensils.

3. Plastic Bags

It was once common to enter a supermarket empty-handed and leave laden with plastic grocery bags. Once they end up in the sea, they can tangle up sea creatures. Marine education experts frequently see sea turtles and other animals mistake plastic bags for prey like jellyfish as well. To cut down on this hazardous waste, Hawaii instated a bag ban that prohibits stores from handing out non-recyclable, single-use plastic and paper bags. Instead, they may offer reusable, compostable plastic or recyclable paper bags for 15 cents. Many people opt to bring their own reusable totes to stores, which are widely available in a range of designs and will often earn you a small discount on groceries, so saving money and ocean life go hand-in-hand.

If you’re looking to explore Hawaii’s oceans in an environmentally responsible way, head out with Dolphin Excursions Hawaii. The company has provided whale and dolphin watching tours for over 20 years, and their knowledgeable tour guides offer engaging marine education during the excursions along the West Coast of Oahu. Find out more about their tours online, and call (808) 239-5579 to reserve your spot today. You can also find more marine education tips on their Facebook page.