Turtles And Plastics: An Annual Hazardous Diet

Plastic pollution is a serious threat to sea turtles. Scientists estimate that over half of the world's sea turtles have ingested plastic, and at least 1,000 die each year due to entanglement in plastic. Young turtles are particularly vulnerable, as they tend to swim in currents where plastic accumulates. Once a turtle swallows plastic, it is unable to throw it up, and the plastic gets stuck in the turtle's gut, limiting its ability to absorb and digest food.

Why do turtles eat plastic?

It is estimated that over half of the world's sea turtles have ingested plastic, with some sources claiming that number to be as high as 52%. This is because plastic debris dumped in the ocean can smell like food to turtles, and they are unable to throw it back up once swallowed. Young turtles are particularly vulnerable as they tend to swim in currents where plastic accumulates.

Turtles mistake plastic for food, such as jellyfish, and ingest it. This causes blockages in their digestive system and can lead to death. Research shows that ingesting just over a dozen pieces of plastic can kill turtles.

Millions of tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, with Australians using 130kg of plastic per year, of which only 12% is recycled. Americans use more than 380 billion plastic bags and wraps each year, and worldwide, as many as one trillion plastic bags are used annually.

The plastic in the ocean also entangles turtles, with an estimated 1,000 sea turtles dying each year due to entanglement in plastic.

How much plastic does it take to kill a turtle?

It's hard to say exactly how much plastic it takes to kill a turtle, but research suggests that the more plastic pieces a turtle has inside it, the more likely it is to have been killed by plastic. One study calculated that for an average-sized turtle (about 45cm long), eating 14 plastic items equates to a 50% chance of being fatal. In other words, a single piece of plastic has a 22% chance of killing a turtle that eats it.

In some cases, just one piece of plastic has been enough to kill a turtle. For example, in two cases studied, a single piece of plastic punctured the gut of one turtle, and clogged the gut of another.

Plastic bags, balloons, and rope fragments are among the types of plastic commonly found in the guts of turtles.

How much plastic is dumped into the ocean each year?

It is estimated that at least 1,000 sea turtles die each year due to entanglement in plastic, which equates to more than one turtle every nine hours. It takes just one piece of plastic to kill a turtle.

Scientists estimate that over half of the world's sea turtles and nearly every seabird have ingested plastic. Young turtles are particularly vulnerable because they tend to swim in currents where plastic accumulates. Once a turtle swallows plastic, they are unable to throw it up, and it gets stuck in their gut, limiting their ability to absorb and digest food.

The amount of plastic dumped into the ocean each year is difficult to calculate, but it is estimated that between 1 million and 11 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans each year. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicts that there will be up to 950 million tons of ocean plastic by 2050.

The world produces around 400 million metric tons of plastic waste each year, and 2,000 truckloads of it are dumped into the ocean, rivers and lakes every day. Australians use 130kg of plastic each year, but only 12% of that is recycled. Americans use more than 380 billion plastic bags and wraps each year, and worldwide, as many as one trillion plastic bags are used annually.

How does plastic kill turtles?

Sea turtles were among the first marine animals recorded to eat plastic debris, and it is estimated that over half of the world's sea turtles have ingested plastic.

Turtles mistake plastic for food, and once swallowed, they are unable to throw it up. The plastic gets stuck in their gut and limits their ability to absorb and digest food. This causes blockages within their digestive system and eventual death. Research shows that ingesting just over a dozen pieces of plastic can kill turtles.

Young turtles are particularly vulnerable because they tend to swim in currents where plastic accumulates. It is estimated that at least 1,000 sea turtles die each year due to entanglement in plastic.

Millions of tonnes of plastic enter our oceans each year, and plastic bags do not biodegrade. Worldwide, as many as one trillion plastic bags are used each year.

How much plastic do humans use each year?

It is estimated that at least 1,000 sea turtles die each year due to entanglement in plastic, which equates to an average of more than 1 turtle every 9 hours. More than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into the oceans every year, and more than half of the world's sea turtles have ingested plastic.

In terms of human plastic consumption, Australians use 130kg of plastic each year, but only 12% of that is recycled. Americans use more than 380 billion plastic bags and wraps each year, and worldwide, as many as one trillion plastic bags are used each year. This equates to 12 million barrels of oil being used to produce these bags.

Therefore, it is clear that humans use a significant amount of plastic each year, and this is having a devastating impact on sea turtles and other marine life.

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