Every square mile of ocean contains 46,000 pieces of floating plastic. A plastic bottle can take hundreds of years to break down – and even then, its particles don’t just disappear. Over time, plastic breaks down into smaller pieces that can contaminate our soil, animals, and waterways. Animals often mistake these plastic pieces for food. Once the plastic gets into their systems, these pieces can poison the animal and often lead to its death.26 billion water bottles are thrown away each year.
