It was shocking to discover that plastic bags which we do not see as dangerous are actual killers. We see people use plastic grocery bags almost every day but these plastic bags are killing animals and polluting the earth. We use nearly 100 billion plastic bags a year and 800 marine species are at risk of extinction because of it. The plastic bags often end up in the ocean and break into hundreds of tiny pieces. These pieces then release toxic chemicals which are dangerous for the ocean life. There will be near 8.8 million tons of plastic in the ocean this year and possibly more. How do we stop this horrible thing millions are unaware of? First, we can inform people about how awful the bags are. Moving forward reusable bags are the way to go to stop millions of plastic bag use. For example in China, the first year they banned the plastic bags they were able to save 40 billion one-use plastic bags from ending up in the ocean hurting ocean life. It makes sense to use reusable bags as you can always have them with you, they are stronger than the plastic ones, and they are h elpful for the environment.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/environme … the-world/

yes, I agree. The use of plastic bags are awful and we need to get rid of it. Especially the sea turtles, they mistaken plastic bags for jellyfish in the ocean. So many sea turtles actually eat these "plastic bags" and end up dying because, they are not able to digest it. If we can't get society to change their minds on this issue and use reusable bags, we should at least come up with a way to properly dispose and use plastic around the world. With Plastic, the best way this problem is the typical thing they tell you when you're a kid: reduce, reuse, and recycle. It takes 500-1000 years for plastic to degrade which is a really long time. At this rate we are wasting more and more each year and the plastic keeps building up, we will end up with our oceans lifeless and damaged to a point where we can't do anything.
Resource: https://www.ecowatch.com/22-facts-about … 85971.html

Another type of plastic that is very harmful to the earth is Styrofoam. It takes over around 50 years for Styrofoam to break down, and not only that, but most recycling companies don't accept Styrofoam, so it cant be recycled. Styrofoam is manufactured by hydrofluorocarbons, which are very bad for the ozone layer. Many fast food restaurants use only Styrofoam to serve their drinks, and that is one way we can start the change. These restaurants need to be notified that they're harming the earth. Also, many people use Styrofoam for other day to day things, so that needs to stop as well. Since many types of plastic including Styrofoam end up in the ocean, many animals end up digesting it, sometimes killing them. People need to be aware of what they're doing, so, like you said, we should come up with ways to properly dispose of these plastics. We need to preserve the earth and the life inhabiting it, because it is our only home.
sources: http://www.greenglancy.com/why-you-shou … styrofoam/ https://www.plasticoceans.org/the-facts/