Sea turtles often mistake plastic items for food — plastic bags resemble jellyfish, plastic pellets look like fish eggs, and floating plastic fragments mimic natural prey. Once ingested, plastic can block their digestive system, release toxic chemicals, and create a false sense of fullness that leads to starvation. Research shows that approximately 52% of all sea turtles worldwide have ingested plastic, and this number is rising. Turtles also become entangled in plastic six-pack rings, fishing line, and packaging, which can cause severe injuries, amputations, or drowning.

Approximately 8 million metric tonnes (17.6 billion pounds) of plastic waste enters the world’s oceans every year. This is equivalent to dumping a garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every single minute. Without significant intervention, this figure is projected to double by 2030 and nearly triple by 2040. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has warned that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight if current trends continue.

Plastic does not biodegrade — it photodegrades into smaller microplastics over hundreds or even thousands of years. A plastic bag takes approximately 20 years, a plastic straw around 200 years, a plastic bottle about 450 years, a disposable nappy 450-500 years, and fishing line up to 600 years. During this entire period, the plastic remains in the environment, breaking into smaller pieces that are ingested by marine life and entering the food chain. Essentially, every piece of plastic ever made still exists in some form today.

While exact figures are difficult to determine, researchers estimate that over 1,000 sea turtles are killed annually by plastic ingestion and entanglement, with many thousands more suffering non-fatal injuries or chronic health effects. The problem affects all seven species of sea turtle, six of which are classified as endangered or critically endangered. Over 700 marine species in total — including whales, dolphins, seals, and seabirds — are known to be affected by plastic pollution, with more than 100,000 marine mammals killed each year.

Individual actions make a measurable difference. Switch to a reusable water bottle, coffee cup, and shopping bag — this alone can prevent hundreds of plastic items from entering the environment each year. Refuse single-use plastic straws, cutlery, and packaging where possible. Participate in local beach or river clean-ups, as most ocean plastic enters via rivers. Support legislation banning unnecessary single-use plastics, and choose products with minimal or plastic-free packaging. Every piece of plastic refused is one less item that could end up in a turtle’s habitat.