90% of all seabirds have eaten plastic today—a number that has skyrocketed from 5% in 1960, and expected to rise to 99% by 2050. Straws are especially harmful, as they can be easily picked up and swallowed, which can suffocate and choke the bird, or build up storage in their stomachs which causes them to starve. Sadly, over 1 million seabirds die each year from ingesting plastic.

The unfortunate tales continue with fish, which take in microscopic plastic debris through its gills. A recent study found suggested that this form of plastic ingestion may take up to six times as long for the animal to rid themselves compared to oral ingestion. Plastic microfibers, which leech harmful toxins like BPA, make their way up through the food chain affecting other species, and our dinner plates.

We’ve all seen that heart wrenching video, where researchers off the coast of Costa Rica remove a plastic straw embedded in the nostril of an olive ridley sea turtle, an endangered species. It is likely that the sea turtle accidentally swallowed the straw, then got it stuck up its nostril while trying to cough it out. Seeing the devastating outcomes on animals and the environment from our own action acts as a catalyst for change.