Recently there has been a disturbing video circulating the web that shows a procedure done on a sea turtle where veterinarians had to remove an entire straw from the turtle’s nasal cavity. This emphasizes a question that has been asked for decades: how does the waste humans leave affect other species, and what can people do to stop bringing harm to wildlife?

One simple step to cutting down on plastic waste, specifically the waste found in the ocean, is cutting out straws and plastic bags from daily routine. Stainless steels straws can be purchased in multi-packs, saving daily plastic waste for minimal cost. Although plastic straws and bags aren’t the only hazards for wildlife, nearly 100,000 marine animals could be saved if these two categories are eliminated from the oceans.

To reduce dependence on plastic bags, more people can bring reusable bags to the store. In some areas, like New York, California, Mississippi, and Maine, stores charge extra for a bag, discouraging consumers from using one when they don’t need one and encouraging them to bring a reusable bag for their purchases. Other areas like Washington D.C, Seattle, and Boston  have banned plastic bags entirely.

Of the 1.4 billions pounds of trash that end up in the ocean every year, plastic is the main contributor. Because it doesn’t break down, plastic is very harmful to marine life. In small pieces, it can even be ingested by sea animals.

Plastic is a non essential item in daily life and yet does so much damage. Investing in stainless steel straws and having reusable bags help cut down on plastic going into the oceans. Sometimes it’s overwhelming to think about what people can do every day to help and they give up, but these are simple, small things to do that make a difference.

Doing the little things go a long way, such as requesting no straw before ordering a drink or have a reusable bag to spark a conversation with the cute cashier at the nearby grocery store; all these things help preserve the environment and keep wildlife from danger.