Check out these easy ways you can start reducing the amount of plastic that enters the ocean.

1. Use Less Plastic

The best way to do this is by refusing any single-use plastics that you don't need and purchasing reusable grocery bags, bottles, containers, straws, utensils, coffee cups, etc.

2. Recycle Properly - This should go without saying

Always be sure to recycle single-use (and other) plastic what you use. At present, just 9% of plastic is recycled worldwide. Recycling reduces the amount of new plastic in circulation and helps keep plastics out of the ocean. If you're searching for a place to recycle plastic waste near you, check Earth911's recycling directory.

3. Participate In a Beach or River Cleanup

This is one of the most direct ways to fight ocean plastic pollution. You can go to the beach or waterway and collect plastic waste on your own or with friends or family. Also, you can find a community of people who do this regularly and join them. This is so cool!

4. Support Bans on single-use plastics

While recycling programs are set up around the world to process discarded plastics, regular use of single-use plastic products ensures a constant backlog. Does your city or state have bans on single-use plastics? Send a letter or call your local elected leaders, urging them to ban single-use plastic items.

5. Avoid Products Containing Microbeads by looking for "polyethylene" and "polypropylene" on the ingredient labels of your cosmetic products. Tiny plastic particles, called "microbeads," have become a growing source of ocean plastic pollution in recent years. Microbeads are found in some face scrubs, toothpaste, and body washes, and they readily enter our oceans through our sewer systems.